THE FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT AS A FIELD OF DISPUTE BETWEEN DIFFERENT NARRATIVES AND THE CHALLENGES IN OPERATIONALIZING A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE TRANSITIONS

Abstract

The objective of this article is to discuss the limits of narratives about sustainable transitions in food systems, based on the analysis of the food systems summit held by the UN in 2021. This event represented a central change in relation to previous summits when trying to build and operationalize a systemic narrative to deal with the multiple challenges associated with current food issues, based on three aspects: i) mobilization of a wide range of actors; ii) appreciation of different technological paths and innovation processes; iii) and the need to consider the different territorial contexts and challenges faced by countries. By making this move, the summit formed a field of conflict in which different social actors addressed narratives for transitions in food systems, and from which we were able to identify and discuss some of the limits and challenges in addressing a systemic approach to this issue.