Hidden Costs: Food Security Remote Workshop 2022

Themes for Discussion

Concentration in food supply chains

• Corporate and country level
• Anatomy of price due to concentration. Where does the money go when prices rise?
• An old problem, even before globalization

Countries are dependent on certain export countries where food production is concentrated

• Net importers
• Subsidy systems lead to more dependence
• Did COVID-19 change anything in net importing countries?

Food commodities trading

• Link between corporate concentration and commodities trading?
• Focus on speculation?

Right to food

• Unlike public health or access to medicine, food is more private (with some notable exceptions)

Are we actually growing food?

• Food for fuels, feed, etc.

Questions

1. Should we use the term food security or food systems or even food sovereignty?
    
2. Who is actually controlling the food supply chain?
    
3. What are some key products/goods that might help tell the story?