Food Security and Food Sovereignty: A Review of Commonly Used Indicators and Consideration of Environmental Sustainability Aspects

Luis Cadavid, Vivek Arulnathan () and Nathan Pelletier
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Luis Cadavid: Food Systems PRISM Lab, Fipke Centre for Innovative Research, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Vivek Arulnathan: Food Systems PRISM Lab, Fipke Centre for Innovative Research, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Nathan Pelletier: Food Systems PRISM Lab, Fipke Centre for Innovative Research, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-20

Abstract: Agriculture and food systems are central to human well-being. As a result, food production and consumption are at the heart of every discourse on sustainable development, both from an environmental and a socio-economic perspective. The concepts of food security and food sovereignty, both significant within the discourse on sustainable food systems, have seen increased interest over recent decades. Despite the importance and relevance of these concepts to one another within the agri-food systems discourse, they are rarely discussed in concert. This literature review explores the definitions, synergies, and potential trade-offs between food security, food sovereignty, and environmental sustainability objectives, as assessed using Life Cycle Assessment—today’s pre-eminent tool for environmental impact measurement and management of products and services. Food cost, adequate caloric/nutrient intake, and access to food were identified as the most used food security indicators, and resource availability, food consumption, and characterization of food production were observed to be the most common food sovereignty indicators. Simultaneous consideration of both food security and environmental sustainability was surprisingly rare in the reviewed literature and was mostly limited to no more than mentions of the terms “environment” or “sustainability”. Joint consideration of these aspects might enable understanding of potential tensions as well as a means to identify strategies that best satisfy what may be viewed as competing objectives.

Keywords: food security; food sovereignty; LCA; life cycle assessment; indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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