African Food Security: Food vs Nature

Food security is a wicked problem: a challenge shaped by interconnected causes, changing circumstances, and competing priorities. There is little consensus on the nature of the problem, or on the most effective solutions. Increasing agricultural production can put further pressure on land, water, and biodiversity, while environmental conservation can limit opportunities for agricultural expansion. International trade can improve affordability and diversify diets, yet also leave countries more dependent on external markets and undermine domestic producers. Likewise, increasing the quantity of food available is essential to reduce hunger, but a singular focus on calories may come at the expense of dietary quality. If food security is indeed a wicked problem, what does that imply for the way we debate it? Can we acknowledge competing objectives, question our own assumptions, and take alternative perspectives seriously? And can doing so help us identify more robust pathways towards food security?

Simon Bush is Professor and Chair of the Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University. His main research interest focuses on the global dimensions of sustainable marine and aquatic food governance, including both aquaculture and fisheries. More broadly he is engaged in research on governing interactions between sustainable food, energy and biodiversity - linked in large part to the staff and PhD students at the Environmental Policy Group.