Local Food Systems under Global Influence: The Case of Food, Health and Environment in Five Socio-Ecosystems

Michael Rapinski (), Richard Raymond, Damien Davy, Thora Herrmann, Jean-Philippe Bedell, Abdou Ka, Guillaume Odonne, Laine Chanteloup, Pascal Jean Lopez, Éric Foulquier, Eduardo Ferreira da Silva, Nathalie El Deghel, Gilles Boëtsch, Véronique Coxam, Fabienne Joliet, Anne-Marie Guihard-Costa, Laurence Tibère, Julie-Anne Nazare and Priscilla Duboz
Additional contact information
Michael Rapinski: UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie (CNRS, MNHN, Université Paris-Cité), 75116 Paris, France
Richard Raymond: UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie (CNRS, MNHN, Université Paris-Cité), 75116 Paris, France
Damien Davy: UAR 3456 LEEISA (CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFFREMER), Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
Thora Herrmann: Biodiverse Anthropocenes Profiling Program, History, Culture, and Communication Studies Research Unit, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, Linnanmaa, P.O. Box 1000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
Jean-Philippe Bedell: Univ Lyon, ENTPE, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 69518 Vaulx-en-Velin, France
Abdou Ka: IRL 3189, Environnement, Santé, Sociétés, Dakar BP15241, Senegal
Guillaume Odonne: UAR 3456 LEEISA (CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFFREMER), Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
Laine Chanteloup: Institute of Geography and Durability—Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research, Université de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Pascal Jean Lopez: UMR 8067 BOREA (MNHN/CNRS/Sorbonne Université/IRD/Université de Caen Normandie/Université des Antilles), 75005 Paris, France
Éric Foulquier: UMR 6554 LETG-Brest, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 29238 Brest, France
Eduardo Ferreira da Silva: Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Nathalie El Deghel: Univ Lyon, ENTPE, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 69518 Vaulx-en-Velin, France
Gilles Boëtsch: IRL 3189, Environnement, Santé, Sociétés, Dakar BP15241, Senegal
Véronique Coxam: UMR 1019 Human Nutrition Unit (Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE), 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Fabienne Joliet: UMR 6590 ESO, L’Institut Agro, Pôle Paysage, 49045 Angers, France
Anne-Marie Guihard-Costa: UMR 8045 BABEL, 75014 Paris, France
Laurence Tibère: UMR 5044 CERTOP (CNRS, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier), 31058 Toulouse, France
Julie-Anne Nazare: Centre de Recherche En Nutrition Humaine Rhône-Alpes, Univ-Lyon, CarMeN Laboratory, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Cens, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, 69310 Lyon, France
Priscilla Duboz: IRL 3189, Environnement, Santé, Sociétés, Dakar BP15241, Senegal

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Globalization is transforming food systems around the world. With few geographical areas spared from nutritional, dietary and epidemiological transitions, chronic diseases have reached pandemic proportions. A question therefore arises as to the sustainability of local food systems. The overall purpose of this article is to put in perspective how local food systems respond to globalization through the assessment of five different case studies stemming from an international research network of Human-Environment Observatories (OHM), namely Nunavik (Québec, Canada), Oyapock (French Guiana, France), Estarreja (Portugal), Téssékéré (Senegal) and Littoral-Caraïbes (Guadeloupe, France). Each region retains aspects of its traditional food system, albeit under different patterns of influence modelled by various factors. These include history, cultural practices, remoteness and accessibility to and integration of globalized ultra-processed foods that induce differential health impacts. Furthermore, increases in the threat of environmental contamination can undermine the benefits of locally sourced foods for the profit of ultra-processed foods. These case studies demonstrate that: (i) the influence of globalization on food systems can be properly understood by integrating sociohistorical trajectories, socioeconomic and sociocultural context, ongoing local environmental issues and health determinants; and (ii) long-term and transverse monitoring is essential to understand the sustainability of local food systems vis-à-vis globalization.

Keywords: nutrition and food transition; One Health; globalization; chronic diseases; epidemiologic transition; Canada; French Guiana; Senegal; Portugal; Guadeloupe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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