Geopolítica del comercio agroalimentario y asimetrías en la disponibilidad alimentaria global (2001-2020)

Emilio Silva Sandes

Agroalimentaria Journal - Revista Agroalimentaria, 2026, vol. 32, issue 62

Abstract: This study examines the role of international agri‑food trade in the food‑availability dimension of global food security during the period 2001–2020, a context marked by sustained expansion in agricultural production and global trade flows. Drawing on a political economy and critical geopolitics perspective, it analyzes the tensions between the humanitarian discourses promoted by international organizations and the geoeconomic and geostrategic logics that shape the global agri‑food system. The methodology is based on a quantitative and comparative analysis of secondary indicators from international sources, including data on agricultural production, agri‑food trade, and the prevalence of food insecurity. Statistics from FAOSTAT, the World Bank, UNCTAD, the International Trade Centre, and the Global Hunger Index were used to identify global patterns and regional asymmetries in food availability. This analysis is complemented by a qualitative interpretation aimed at situating the findings within broader theoretical debates on food regimes, global value chains, and food‑security governance. The results show that, despite the significant increase in global food availability and the growth of agri‑food trade, food insecurity persisted as a structural phenomenon, concentrated primarily in countries with high import dependence, limited productive capacity, and weak bargaining power in international markets. The evidence indicates that trade expansion was driven predominantly by profitability, productive specialization, and the strategic positioning of major exporting actors, rather than by objectives oriented toward the eradication of hunger. The article concludes that international agri‑food trade can contribute to food security in terms of availability, but it is neither a sufficient nor a neutral mechanism. Its effectiveness depends on its articulation with national public policies and with integrated approaches that address access, utilization, and stability within food systems.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Food Security and Poverty; International Relations/Trade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:veagro:404272

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.404272

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