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What if food is considered a common good?

2014, UN Standing Committee on Nutrition News #40

Food, as a basic human need, should enjoy a similar consideration to health and education in our societies and yet it is not so. The former are basic rights, guaranteed by the state to every citizen in developed countries and in most developing ones as well, whereas food is largely provided in a monetary basis: your purchasing power determines your food access. Why is that? can we do it otherwise?

.u s .o g “peake ’s Co e SPEAKER’S CORNER What if food is considered a common good? The essential narrative for the food and nutrition transition Jose Luis Vi e o Pol , PhD esea h fello at the Ce t e of Philosoph of La , U i e sité atholi ue de Lou ai Co ta t: Jose-luis. i e opol@u lou ai . e This a i le p ese ts the aio ale de eloped the autho i the o ki g pape Food as a o the glo al food syste , a aila le o li e, hi h p o ides full efe e es. o s: refra i g the arrai e of Author state e t: The author de lared ot ha i g a y o li t of i terest. . The pri aizaio of a asi hu a eed Ade uate a d ut iious food, f esh ai a d d i ka le ate a e the th ee esse ials ou hu a od e ui es to fu io . The a e li ited ut e e a le esou es. Wild food is o side ed a o o good, ut uli ated food is a pl ega ded as a p i ate o e. Wate is ei g e a ded f o a f ee-a ess o o good to a fee- est i ted p i ate good, a i st step to a ds a full p i aizaio p oess, follo i g a e si ila path to that of food. Ai is sill o side ed a glo al o o good a d it has a el ee e losed although its o odii aio has al ead sta ted usi g eai e a ou i g ased o e o o i aluaio of e i o e tal p o esses. The o odii aio of food is a hu a -i du ed p o ess that deals o e ith the p op ieta ights of atu al esou es tha ith the i t i si atu e of the good. The sta da d e o o i dei iio of pu li goods is a ho ed o o - i al a d o -e luda ilit . “ta da d e a ples of pu li goods i lude f esh ai , ate , k o ledge, aio al defe e, u i e sal pu li health a d pea e, ut e e food. Pu li goods a e go e ed oth pu li a d p i ate p ope t s he es as e a see i the health a d edu aio do ai s a d the featu es of goods a e athe stai . I polii al te s, ho e e , e luda ilit a d i al a e so ial o st u ts that a e odiied so ial a a ge e ts. Goods ote e o e p i ate o pu li as a esult of deli e ate poli hoi es o te h i al p og esses. P op ieta ights a e a set of so ial a d legal o s, hose atu e a d spe ii iies a e dete i ed ea h so iet . Pu li a d p i ate goods a e dei ed e itlee ts, egulaio s a d sa io s that allo ed e tai a i iies a d p os i ed othe s fo spe ii g oups o people. Food is a de fa to i pu e pu li good, ete te ed as o o good, go e ed pu li i situio s i a aspe ts food safet egulaio s, ut iio , seed a kets, fe ilize su sidies , p o ided olle i e a io s i thousa ds of usto a a d post-i dust ial olle i e a a gee ts ooki g e ipes, fa e s’ seed e ha ges, o su e -p odu e s asso iaio s, oope ai es o o u it -suppo ted ag i ultu e , ut la gel dist i uted aket ules. Ma so ieies ha e o side ed, a d sill o side , food as a o o good, as ell as fo ests, ishe ies, la d a d ate . The o odii aio a d elated p i aizaio of food is athe o pleted o ada s. As su h, the e losu e e ha is s, th ough legislaio , e essi e p i i g o pate ts, pla a ole i li ii g the a ess to food to illio s a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40 .u s .o g “peake ’s Co e of people. Hu a ei gs a eat ha e o e to u it o ea s to odiizaio oulded the do i a te that feeds a g eat sha e of the food as lo g as the p odu e it. This o t i dust ial food s so ld populaio . . The u sustai a le i dustrial food s ste The i dust ial a d highl e ha ized food s ste has a hie ed e a ka le outputs du i g the se o d half of the th e tu i easi g food p odu io a d fa ilitai g food a ess to illio s of u a a d u al d elle s. T ipli g glo al op p odu io , i easi g ields a d lo e i g food p i es ha e e eited ost o su e s i the o ld. P odu i it gai s, ho e e , ha e ee u e e a oss egio s a d li ited to so e e eal ops i e, aize a d heat . The o ld p odu es e ough alo ies to feed a glo al populaio of illio a d et e aste o e thi d of that food si pl e ause of its lo p i e i the a ket a d ou fail to app e iate its o -e o o i alues. This i dust ial food s ste is also hea il su sidized a d a pl fa ou ed ta e e pio s. It is ot si pl a p i ate good i a u fete ed a ket. The o o e io al, alte ai e o ag oe ologi al s ste s a e ot e uall su sidized though. The o odii aio of the i dust ial food s ste also ought a u desi a le o se ue es. Just to a e a fe , o e a e i d o eself that % of hu g people a e the sel es food p odu e s o ag i ultu al la ou e s. Ag i ultu e akes poo use of othe o o goods su h as ate , lo g-te sto age di i ishes the ut iious p ope ies of so e foods, p odu io of e pt a d heap alo ies e de s o esit a g o i g glo al pa de i . Food p odu io is ote highl e e g i ei ie t, ith lo g suppl hai s o t i ui g to li ate ha ge. “oil deg adaio is the o i o o ultu e s ste s, ith added loss of iodi e sit , hi h othe ise ould o t i ute to the edu io of p odu io isk, help to p ese e ultu e, a d e ou age di e se diets. We eat adl a d p odu e food i a athe u sustai a le a e a d ith this do i a t o o e , o food aio alit , hu ge sill p e ails i a o ld of a u da e. Mo eo e , i the last de ade this o odii aio see s to ha e go e too fa as food a e spe ulated ith, di e ted f o hu a o su pio to iofuel p odu io a d used as a jusii aio fo u ethi al la d g a i g. Although la gel let to the a ket, so iet at la ge e e theless ag ees that all people should ha e ea s to se- u e e ough a d ade uate food. Fo a ea s, e e e told that loosel egulated a ket fo es ould lead the aio al a d i te aio al food s ste s to e adi ate hu ge a d a hie e food a d ut iio se u it , as lo g as the o ld’s a e age ealth i eased. The food arket k o s est" as the e a t a. Ho e e , ealit has p o e othe ise: u egulated a kets do ot dist i ute food ade uatel , as it is losel ied to pu hasi g po e . Mo eo e , despite the o o elia e o i dust selfegulaio a d pu li -p i ate pa t e ships PPPs to i p o e pu li health a d ut iio , the e is o e ide e to suppo t thei efe i e ess i a hie i g this goal o i gua a teei g food safet . T a s aio al food o po aio s a e a o g the ajo d i e s of o esit due to thei p o oio of i eased o su pio of ult ap o essed food a d d i ks. The o l e ha is that see s a le to p e e t the ha aused the g o i g do i aio of these i dust ies a d thei i lue e o diets is pu li i te e io i the a ket. “o fa , PPPs see si pl to e eit p i ate a to s as plafo s to eake the “tate egulato po e a d e e t p oit-d i e lo i pu li poli - aki g. A food s ste a ho ed i the o side aio of food as a o odit to e dist i uted a o di g to the de a d a d suppl a ket ules ill e e a hie e food a d ut iio se u it fo all. The p i ate se to is ot i te ested i people ho do ot ha e the o e to pa fo thei se i es o goods, hethe ideoga es o staple food. Mo eo e , a kets, go e ed p i ate, i di idual selfi te est, ill ot p o ide a ade uate ua it of pu li goods ith e o ous although o - o eized e eits to hu a ei gs, as the e ei ial e te aliies a ot e aptu ed those p i ate a kets. As o pa ai e ases, o e ould a al se othe pu li goods su h as health a d edu aio . Both ha e ee o side ed as pu li espo si iliies si e the I dust ial Re oluio a d the efo e p ote ted state egulaio s, su sidies a d legal e itle e ts. A d et, it is idel a epted that p i ate s hools, u i e siies a d hospitals ha e also a ole to pla i p o idi g those e itle e ts to so iet . U like the o po ate food se to , the ai goal of the p i ate edu aio a d health se to s is ot a i izi g p oit ut deli e i g good ualit edu aio a d health a d thus o t i ui g to the pu li good. O the o t a , food as a o odit is t aded he e the p oit a e a i ized, ho e e i po ta t it a e fo hu a su a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40 .u s .o g i al a d dis ega di g the ut iio al a d so ial o seue es of p odu i g food u sustai a l a d dist i ui g food u fai l . The highl - eeded a ai e to stee a t a siio to a ds fai e a d o e sustai a le food s ste s should e o e a out alui g the uliple di e sio s of food othe tha its a ii iall -lo p i e i the a ket tha oosi g sustai a le i te sii aio of food p odu io o s ali g up te h olog - ased pate ted sil e - ullets i fo of geei all odiied o ga is s GMOs , a ote h olog o e ha ized o o oppi g ag i ultu e. . Li itaio s of the state– arket duopol for a fairer food go er a e Fo e tu ies, the state a d the lo al uli g po e s e e ted a ota le i lue e o food-p odu i g s ste s, eithe o t olli g ea s of p odu io la d, ate , seeds, o kfo e , ta i g food p odu io o e a i g egulai g f a e o ks. Food as egula l t aded i the a ket as ell as ha ested o hu ted fo f ee i atu e. Late o , du i g the th a d th e tu ies, food e ol ed f o a o o lo al esou e to a p i ate t a s aio al o odit , e o i g a i dust a d a a ket of ass o su pio . The i dust ial food s ste seeks to a u ulate u de p i ed food esou es a d a i izes the p oit of food e te p ises i stead of a i izi g the ut iio a d health e eits of food to all. The p o ess as ot pa allel i all ou t ies e.g. the o u ist pe iod of the fo e “o iet U io a d its allies o the a ied pe et aio of a ket-led pa adig s i usto a ai e so ieies of de elopi g ou t ies , ut it e a e the do i a t i dust ial s ste that full o t ols i te aio al food t ade, feeds a g eat sha e of the glo al populaio a d has gi e ise to the o po ate o t ol of life-suppo i g i dust ies, f o la d a d ate g a i g to ag i ultu al fuel- ased i puts. Mea hile, although the state has sh u k d asi all , espe iall ate the st u tu al adjust e t p og a es a d the ise of the Washi gto Co se sus of the sa d s, it e ai s a i po ta t fo e i glo al a d aio al food go e a e ia food a d ag i ultu al su sidies, food safet egulaio s, health a d ut iio o e age a d ag i ultu al esea h a d e te sio . A d e e as the e has ee a ise i i siste e of lei g the a ket ule a d o the i po ta e of f ee p i es, the state, espo di g to polii al a d so ei es so ial i pe ai es, o i ues to i se t “peake ’s Co e p i e edges – ta es o su sidies – i to the a ket. Ho e e , this state– a ket duopol i food go e a e p odu io , dist i uio a d safet has ot ee a le to a hie e a fai o sustai a le food s ste i hi h s all fa e s a ea a li i g out of thei la d plots, e e od a eat ade uatel th ee i es pe da , ea s of p odu io a e ot depleted, ish sto ks a e ot o e ished, a a le la ds a e take a e of o ate is adeuatel used. Rathe , the a solute o odii aio spu ed o poaio s a d states has deta hed food f o its uliple di e sio s just to etai its t adea le featu es du a ilit , e te al eaut , sta da dizaio . The ut iio al p ope ies of food a d food’s i po ta e as a good ea t to ou ish people ha e also pe ished o the a . The o side aio of food as a pu e o odit , hi h e ust e e e is a so ial o st u t, is adi all opposed to its o side aio as a hu a ight that should e gua a teed to all a aspe t that sill eso ates i u e ous ou t ies o as a o o good that should e a aila le to e e hu a ei g to gua a tee su i al. . What eeds to ha ge: shiti g i dsets a d e plori ga o o s- ased food a d utriio tra siio With illio s of people eedlessl d i g p e atu el ea h ea f o hu ge a d o esit , o od a dispute the eed fo a ha ge. A e- o o ii aio of food is a esse ial pa adig shit i light of the glo al ight agai st hu ge a d al ut iio . Ho e e , al ost o e of the ost ele a t a al ses p odu ed i the last de ades o the fault li es of the glo al food s ste a d the e iste e of hu ge has e e uesio ed the atu e of food as a p i ate good. The e is a o o u de sta di g that the ai p o le o ada s is the la k of food a ess, a d a ket ules a d the pu hasi g po e a e the ai fo es to at h food de a d a d suppl . I te esi gl , this i siste e o u de sta di g food as a p i ate good o e looks se e al food di e sio s a d ea s of food p odu io that a e sill lea l u de stood as o o goods see Bo . Mo eo e , the e is a g o i g o se sus that health should e o side ed a pu li good a d he e good ut iio should also ha e a si ila o side aio . While ut iious foods a d health diets ould e i al a d e lusi e, thei i sui ie a eate sig ii a t o se ue es fo pu li health, th ough i a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40 .u s .o g “peake ’s Co e eased so ial a d e o o i osts of al ut iio a d diet- elated ill esses. The efo e, e p opose he e that food a d ut iio se u it should e u de stood as a glo al pu li good, as it is eithe i al o e luda le i theo , a d all i di iduals li i g i a food-se u e so iet e eit f o that o diio e e if the do ot o t i ute o pa a thi g fo its p o isio . . The tri e tri approa h to the re- o food o ii aio of The soluio s to the faili g i dust ial food s ste ill ot a i e i a a ket-d i e sil e - ullet pa a ea o i a e t alized state-led s he e, ut ill e ui e e pe i e taio at uliple le els pe so al, lo al, aio al, i te aio al a d di e se app oa hes to go e a e a ketled, state-led a d olle i e a io -led . We eed to elai a e a ai e to u de take this eo o ii aio of food, i easi g the p opo io of goods a d se i es o su ed outside the egulated fo al a ket, eithe a ui ed i the pu li sphe e o i the self- egulated sphe e. Nu e ous e a ples of food sha i g, food glea i g, food s ap s he es, fai t ade, p odu e s– o su e s asso iaio s, o u it -suppo ted ag iultu e, u a o ha ds o the iad of di e se alte ai e food et o ks e.g. food t usts i the U ited “tates a d food s aps i Aust alia a e p o i g doi g that the e is a g o i g o e e t that is p odu i g, t adi g a d alui g food outside the t adiio al a ket–state ules a d egulaio s. Those alte ai e food o e e ts a e uildi g a e pol e t i go e a e of the food s ste f o the g ass oots, as Eli o Ost o i el depi ted fo othe o o -pool esou es. A d these selfegulated i situio al a a ge e ts ased o olle i e a io s shall also e gi e due o side aio , app op iate legal e itle e ts, ade uate fu di g a d polii al suppo t, just as the i dust ial food s ste has e jo ed fo de ades. Food ould e p odu ed, dist i uted a d o su ed th ee-p o ged i situio al a a ge e ts o pou ded of a i i olle i e a io s fo food o Alte ai e Food Net o ks u de take i iiall at lo al le el; go e e ts hose ai goal is to a i ize the ell- ei g of thei iize s a d p o ide a e a li g f a e o k fo the to e jo food a d ut iio se u it ; a d a p iate se to that a p ospe f o the esou es it o s o e ts u de state egulaio s a d i e i es. The e is a Bo . Food-related di e sio s idel a epted as o o goods a. T adiio al ag i ultu al k o ledge a uulated ate thousa ds of ea s of p a i es . Mode s ie e- ased ag i ultu al k o ledge p odu ed aio al i situio s . Cuisi es, e ipes a d aio al gast o od. Edi le pla ts a d a i als p odu ed atu e ish sto ks a d ild f uits a d a i als e. Ge ei esou es fo food a d ag i ultu e f. Food safet o side aio s e.g. Code Ali e ta ius g. Nut iio i ludi g hu ge a d o esit i ala es as pu li ads h. Food p i e sta ilit i glo al a d aio al a kets eed to e-a o odate this ou i g fo e of iize s´ a io s to e lai food as a o o good. Food a a d should e sha ed ithi a pol e t i go e a e st u tu e, gi e fo f ee, gua a teed the state, uli ated a a d also t aded i the a ket. The t a siio toa ds a sustai a le food s ste should e alue the o o eta di e sio s of food, a d he e the glo al a d lo al food p odu io a d dist i uio s ste s shall ot e e lusi el go e ed suppl –de a d a ket ules. Pu hasi g po e a ot e lusi el dete i e ou a ess to su h esse ial. Ci i olle i e a io s fo food a e uilt upo the so ioe ologi al p a i es of i i e gage e t, o u it a d the ele aio of lo al food a d the a e ke u its fo the t a siio to a ds a o e ut iio -se sii e, sustai a le a d fai e food a d ag i ultu e s ste apa le of feedi g us all 5 a d e o d. Thei fou daio s la o the uliple o side aio of food as a a asi hu a eed to e a aila le to all; a fu da e tal hu a ight to e gua a teed to e e iize of e e ou t ; a ultu al pilla eithe as p odu e s o o su e s; d a a keta le p odu t su je t to fai t ade a d sustai a le p odu io ; a d e a glo al o o good to e e jo ed a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40 .u s .o g hu a ki d. Both usto a a d post-i dust ial i e a io s fo food sha e this ulidi e sio al o aio of food that di e ges f o the u idi e sio p oa h of food as a o odit the ai st ea t ial food s ste . “peake ’s Co e olle side al api dus- . What this ea s for the food s ste : legal a d poliial i pli aio s of treai g food as a o o good If food is o side ed a o o good, the legal, e o o i a d polii al i pli aio s ould e huge, e taili g o seue es fa e o d the hu g a d the ou t ies ha ou i g hu g people. To date, ad o ai g fo a ihu ge a d a io esit easu es has ee e u h depe di g o de o st ai g the e o o i a d polii al losses that hu ge a d o esit i poses to hu a so ieies a d e o o ies i easi g health e pe ditu e, dete i g i o aio a d p odu i it o t igge i g so ial u est a d polii al tu oil. Co e sel , alte ai e o e o o i a gu e ts a d st ategies to ight hu ge a d o esit ha e ee la gel egle ted, ith e a ples a gi g f o ethi al i pe ai es, pu li health o side aio s, so ial ohesio o hu a ights app oa hes to a e just a fe . Co side i g food as a o o good ould p o ide the ade uate aio ale to suppo t these o -e o o i a gu e ts. Food should e kept out f o t ade ag ee e ts deali g ith pu e p i ate goods a d the e ould e a eed to esta lish a pa i ula i te aio al legal a d go e a e s ste fo p odu io , dist i uio a d a ess to food at glo al le el. That ould pa e the a fo o e i di g legal f a e o ks, os opolita glo al poli ies o f ate al ethi s fo the hole hu a a e. U i e sal food o e age s he es o food se u it loo s ould e eated, he e the state should gua a tee a i i u a ou t of food fo all fo e a ple, o e loaf of ead, te torillas o t o i jeras , pa alleli g the so ial p ote io loo s that a e ei g i ple e ted i a high-i o e ou t ies. That ould also e do e e ualli g the i i u sala to the aio al food asket. Mo eo e , the e ould e a legal a d ethi al g ou d to a i a ial spe ulaio o food, as this spe ulaio does ot e eit eithe the p odu e s o the o su e s of su h a esse ial esou e. A d food ould e p io iized fo hu a o su pio , li ii g the o - o su pio uses su h as iofuels o li esto k feed. I o aio i ag i ultu al a d ut iio esea h a d loall -adapted te h ologies ould highl e eit f o this o side aio , foste i g o dsou i g i o aio s a d eai e o o s li e si g s ste s to i p o e the ut iio -se sii e food s ste . Millio s of people i o ai g ha e fa o e apa it to i d adapi e a d app op iate soluio s tha a fe thousa d s ie ists. The op ighted ag i ultu al se to , ith its e essi e pate ts of life a d iopi a , is dete i g the s ali g up of food a d ut iio se u it i o aio s. The f eedo to op a tuall p ootes eai it a d i o aio athe tha dete it, as it a e see i the fashio i dust , the ooki g a d gast o o a eas o the f ee sot a e do ai . . The food o o s tra siio The e- o o ii aio of food ill take se e al de ades so the t a siio phase should it ess the oe iste e of a dual o side aio of food: as a o o good, he e a i i u a ou t should e a aila le a d a essi le to e e hu a ei g; a d as a p i ate good su je t to t ade. I a ase, self-go e i g olle i e a io s a ot do the t a siio the sel es, as food p o isio a d food a d ut iio se u it shall i ol e g eate le els of pu li se to i ol e e t a d a ket-d i e dist i uio s. He e, the e should e e a li g spa es fo lo al go e e ts, p i ate e t ep e eu s a d self-o ga ized o u iies to oe ist, ith the “tate taki g a leadi g ole at the i iial stage of the t a siio pe iod, ot o l as a egulato e ha is ut also as a fu di g a d ope aio al i st u e t to a hie e so iall desi ed olle i e goods that is, the food a d ut iio se u it of the populaio . Fi di g the ade uate e uili iu et ee this t i e t i i situio al setup ill e o e of the ajo halle ges hua ki d ill ha e to add ess i the st e tu , as lo g as the populaio g o s a d Ea th’s a i g apa it see s to e su passed hu a g eed fo esou es, as Gha di o e e io ed. Fi all , i a o da e ith the o o atu e of food, I ould el o e o e ts to fu the ela o ate this aio ale a d its p a i al i pli aio s, ideall p odu ed i a o o s a e . A fai e a d o e sustai a le ut iio -se sii e food a d ag i ultu e s ste is possi le, ut e eed to e o side the food a ai e to guide that t a siio . I do ot e pe t to see this ha ge o pleted du i g lifei e, ut I hope ou hild e a . a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40