Ecosocial Food Policy: Improving Human, Animal, and Planetary Well-Being
Abstract
The article argues that to achieve a sustainable food system a paradigm shift is a necessity. Even though food is invariably related to ecological, health, and social issues it is all too often treated within a narrow framework that focuses on production volumes. In particular, the ecological and ethical impacts of food production—chemical pollution, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, depletion of natural resources, greenhouse-gas emissions, and effects on animals—remain unresolved. The root cause of this problem is a paradigm in which human actions and societies are regarded as separate from nature and the interconnectedness between human well-being and the vitality of ecosystems is disregarded. In fact, in the
Anthropocene, the greatest challenge to feeding humans is caused by humans themselves. This article recommends adopting an Ecosocial Food Policy (EFP) that rests on relational, systemic, and holistic thinking and respect for planetary boundaries, with well-being as the central concept. A fundamental principle of EFP is the interrelatedness of food, social, health, and environmental policies. We provide some examples of EFP practices, such as agroecological farming and a shift to plant-based organic food.
Authors
Tuula Helne, Arto O Salonen
Additional Information
- Peer-Reviewed: yes.
- Open Access: yes.
- Cite as: Helne, T. & Salonen, A. O. (2016). Ecosocial Food Policy: Improving Human, Animal, and Planetary Well-Being. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 12(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/2052546.2016.11949231
