IPES-Food briefing on increasing concentration of corporate power in the food system

IPES-Food concentration of power in the food system power
"Who is tipping the scale" is the lastes briefing note publicated by the International Panel of Expert on Sustainable Food System (IPES-Food). It investigates the growing influence of corporations on the governance of food systems, and presents options for how to counter it

by | Apr 27, 2023 | News, Other Organization, Scientific publication

IPES Food latest work presents an clear picture of the concentration of power in most segments of the agri-food system, where just a few corporate players dominate markets.

According to the report, there are several mechanisms that keep this trend in place in the food system, including the possibilities that large corporations have to:

  • Gaining ‘market power’ through consolidation
  • Using economic dominance to exercise political power
  • Shaping scientific research and popular discourse through sponsorship and their
  • Shaping trade and investment treaties and agreements

Large corporations have undue influence over global food governance, undermining people’s abilities to engage with food systems on their own terms and eroding their human rights

Recommendation for addressing power imbalances in the food system governance

The report concludes with a series of reccomendations listed in teh figure below

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The report is accessible here

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Gabriele

Gabriele Maneo is an agronomist with more than 10 years of experience in developing managing and evaluating international development programmes in the field of rural development, nutrition and food systems.