Food sovereignty: convergence and contradictions, conditions and challenges: Editorial introduction to special issue

This article introduces this special collection on food sovereignty. It
frames the collection in relation to a broader political and intellectual
initiative that aims to deepen academic discussions on food sovereignty.
Building upon previous and parallel initiatives in ‘engaged academic
research’ and following the tradition of ‘critical dialogue’ among activists
and academics, we have identified four key themes – all focusing
on the contradictions, dilemmas and challenges confronting future
research – that we believe contribute to further advancing the conversation
around food sovereignty: (1) dynamics within and between social
groups in rural and urban, global North–South contexts; (2) flex crops
and commodities, market insertion and long-distance trade; (3) territorial
restructuring, land and food sovereignty; and (4) the localisation
problematique. We conclude with a glance at the future research challenges
at international, national and local scales, as well as at the links
between them, while emphasising the continuing relevance of a critical
dialogue between food sovereignty activists and engaged scholars.