Explaining the Model of Good Governance of Sustainable Urban Food Systems

Document Type : Research article - extracted from the dissertation

Authors

1 PhD Student In Geography and Urban Planning, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The concept of food systems as a guiding framework for strategic thinking towards achieving diverse, safe and nutritious food for all has been considered in the process of food policies. Food systems include all actors and activities through global value chains, including input supply, production, processing, distribution, retail, wholesale, food preparation and consumption, along with their effects on the environment, health, and society. The present research was a qualitative research based on the findings of Delphi group interviews. 25 experts were selected as the sample group. Findings showed that the indicators of good governance that were extracted from the research process included participation, legality, accountability, transparency, resilience and flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness, justice, consensual orientation, foresight and responsibility. Themes related to the good governance of sustainable urban food systems were obtained in four dimensions of institutional sustainability, environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability. Therefore, the combination of good governance indicators and themes of sustainability of urban food systems, would lead to consequences such as sustainable food security, environmental issues (the erosion of soil, etc.), nutrition and health, economic affairs (efficiency, etc.), and social affairs (equality, etc.). Results showed that without the application of good governance in the management of food systems, the establishment of food justice, equality and realize the right to food, and policy makers at the global, national and local levels would face many challenges. Also, governance with a high level of flexibility and resilience is the most efficient management method that can manage global food systems.
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Throughout history, food and the city have had a mutual relationship. Food has shaped cities and influenced location, design, economics, and politics, and cities' ability to secure food availability has determined their location. Currently, the world is facing historic challenges related to food, nutrition, agriculture and environment. After making significant strides toward reducing hunger in the past decades, global progress has slowed down and, in some cases, it has been reversed. Unequal access to nutritious food, high rates of malnutrition, including overweight/obesity and related health problems (e.g. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension), unequal presence of infrastructure related to the food system, including markets and storage systems are only some partial problems facing sustainable food in the world. Failure to address the challenges of urban food insecurity, rising food prices and low incomes would have serious unintended consequences for the Global South and undermine efforts to achieve a sustainable urban future. Also, food policy and governance are currently disrupted despite its important role in improving food security and public nutrition in many local and national contexts. More than ever, policymakers need to understand the usefulness of a comprehensive and systemic approach in designing food policies, as well as recognizing the benefits of exchanges and maximizing synergies. In the past decade, scientists and policymakers have called for the development of new governance for food systems to address the global challenges of food security, environmental change, and poverty reduction. One of the main drivers of this call was the global food price crises of 2007/2008 and 2010, which prompted researchers and policy makers to reflect on the deeper and more structural causes of the crisis. In the meantime, the global consensus is that the global food governance system is facing serious challenges and its consequences are the increase of the hungry and the poor all over the world. Therefore, many are calling for fundamental changes in food systems to reduce climate change and improve the level of food security, food safety, environmental sustainability and equality. So that many researchers have emphasized the transition towards new food management in the world.
Methodology
In terms of the work process, the current research was in the category of qualitative research and is based on the findings of the Delphi group interviews. The experts were asked to answer the open research questions. The purpose of creating the expert panel was to select experts with reliable knowledge about good governance and sustainable urban food systems and with different perspectives. After each expert agreed to participate in the study, a detailed description of the project was sent to them via email or WhatsApp along with the research topic and possible questions. The experts were allowed to use the questions that they think would help the research process and solve the research problem, then they sent their answers to the researcher. The number of experts for this research was 25 people. The Delphi method has some weaknesses, including dependence on the careful selection of expert participants, long time required for survey procedures, participant attrition, inability to easily handle inconsistency, and limited interaction among participants (Keeney et al., 2010), researchers tried to control these weaknesses to a large extent. Participants were selected by purposive sampling. The criterion for choosing experts was their availability, expertise and having enough time to complete the Delphi process. At the end of each session, all notes were collected, as collecting research data immediately after the discussion helps to accurately link statements to the specific individual identifiers within each group. Data analysis was done using the Maxqda 2020 software.
Results and discussion
The results have considered the four dimensions of sustainability (institutional, economic, social and environmental) for urban food systems. As the findings showed, good governance indicators of participation, legality, accountability, transparency, resilience and flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness, justice, consensual orientation, foresight and responsibility increase and guarantee the process of achieving the sustainability of urban food systems. In addition to meeting the needs of the current generation about food and food security, these indicators, as independent variables do not reduce the power of the future generation in meeting the needs of food and, put it in line with sustainable urban development.
Conclusion
A sustainable food system contributes to food security and nutrition. In such a way that the economic, social, cultural and environmental foundations are maintained to create food security and nutrition for future generations. That is a sustainable food system must guarantee access to healthy and nutritious food for all human beings. Also, introduce sustainable consumption patterns and put nature-oriented production at the forefront. This food system must be resilient against shocks. So that it shows its flexibility against global environmental changes and guarantees the improvement of human livelihood. This requires the application of good governance principles in the management of urban food systems. The research literature acknowledges that paying attention to urban food systems and urban food security has been neglected, and global food production is more dependent on rural places, and therefore attention has been paid to rural management. Therefore, the governance of urban food systems should be further analyzed and cities should not be considered passive about the food production and management. Thus, the goal of a sustainable urban food system should be to end hunger and achieve healthy diets for all. The required food should be affordable and accessible to all parts of the society. To achieve this goal, a balance must be created between the sustainable use of natural resources and reducing the effects of climate change. Also, in order to eliminate poverty and increase income and wealth, changing food systems must ensure that low-income people could access a healthy diet through the possibility of a living wage.
Funding
There is no funding support.
Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the persons for scientific consulting in this paper.

Highlights

- By using a system approach, you can examine food planning.

- Institutional sustainability assessment is considered as a new dimension of sustainability of urban food systems.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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