Global Agri-Food Competitiveness: Assessing Food Security, Trade, Sustainability, and Innovation in the G20 Nations

Sylvain Charlebois (), Janet Music, Nicole Goulart Natali and Janele Vezeau ()
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Sylvain Charlebois: Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Janet Music: Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Nicole Goulart Natali: Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Janele Vezeau: Canadian Agri-Food Foresight Institute, Halifax, NS B2X 3T5, Canada

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: This study presents a comparative benchmarking analysis of G20 nations’ agri-food competitiveness across five critical pillars: food security and nutrition, trade and geopolitics, environmental sustainability, fiscal regimes, and entrepreneurship support. Using a structured benchmarking framework with 13 performance indicators sourced from internationally recognized datasets, the research delivers a comprehensive evaluation of national agri-food systems. The analysis reveals significant disparities in transparency, policy coherence, and investment in innovation across member states. Countries such as the United States, Germany, and Australia emerge as leaders, driven by integrated policy frameworks, trade surpluses, and sustainable production practices. Others fall behind due to import dependence, fragmented governance, or weak innovation ecosystems. Canada performs consistently in trade metrics but is hindered by high emissions intensity, infrastructure constraints, and a lack of a cohesive national food strategy. Theoretically, this work contributes to the emerging field of agri-food system diagnostics by operationalizing a cross-pillar benchmarking methodology applicable at the national level. Practically, it offers policymakers a decision-support tool for identifying structural gaps and setting reform priorities. The framework enables governments, trade partners, and multilateral institutions to design targeted interventions aimed at boosting food system resilience, economic competitiveness, and sustainability in an era of rising geopolitical and environmental volatility.

Keywords: agri-food competitiveness; benchmarking; food security; global trade; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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