Abstract
According to commentators, we live in the “golden age of philanthropy” where private foundations assume central political roles alongside or even instead of states. Historically, a key domain of foundations’ activities has been agrifood governance. Dating as early as the Green Revolution, which was funded primarily by the Rockefeller foundation, philanthropy in agrifood governance has been playing a major role in reshaping agrifood systems in profound ways. This chapter asks how philanthropic foundations fuel transformations and with what consequences for sustainable food systems today. Based on an analysis of the top-10 funders of SDG-2 (the “zero hunger” Sustainable Development Goal), the chapter examines whether foundations challenge or uphold incumbent norms and ideas about agrifood system transformations. The chapter contrasts incumbent norms based on consumer responsibility, technological innovation, and market-based solutions, with what it considers as transformative norms centred around food sovereignty and food justice. The analysis shows that few foundations adopt transformative norms, which may eventually jeopardize efforts to radically change agrifood governance, eliminate hunger, and secure sustainable development.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Global Environmental Politics in a Turbulent Era |
Editors | Peter Dauvergne, Leah Shipton |
Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing |
Chapter | 10 |
Pages | 116-128 |
Number of pages | 13 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781802207149 |
ISBN (Print) | 978 1 80220 713 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 7 Mar 2023 |
Keywords
- Agrifood governance
- Governance
- Norms
- Philanthropic foundations
- Philanthropy
- Sustainability