Making Local Food Democracy Work: Conceptualisations, Practices and Policies.

Abstract: Sustainable food production, distribution, and consumption are essential for ecological sustainability. Food systems significantly impact climate change, health, and environmental pollution, which makes them crucial for global sustainability. The recent Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and several other conflictual contexts around the world have exacerbated vulnerabilities of food systems, increasing the tension between global supply chains and local production. Cities are increasingly adopting sustainable food strategies, positioning them at the forefront of developing sustainable food practices despite various challenges. However, the governance of food systems is a major albeit yet underexplored topic, especially in terms of making local systems both sustainable and democratic. Sustainable Urban Food Strategies (SUFS) and Food Policy Councils (FPC) are key to addressing global food system issues. These strategies aim to promote sustainable food policies while at the same time ensuring food citizenship, justice, rights, and democratic control over local food systems. Against this backdrop, the open panel 'Making Food Democracy Work' is interested in papers which focus on the conceptualisations of food democracy and look at local practices and policies around the world.