Political Economy of Agri-Nutrition: What’s Politics Got to Do With Nutrients?

Our blog post at the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy is published here.

We are discussing the importance of a political economy approach to understanding agri-nutrition globally, which is often taken as a technical, biomedical and production issue that requires highly specialized, external input intensive farming systems and micronutrient enrichment.

Differently, a political economy approach to agri-nutrition centres issues of power and control in global food systems. This includes considering wider issues of who is setting the agenda on which technologies, business and production models promoted, and who is profiting off of interventions. Also, this approach goes beyond concerns of profit, growth and vitamin intake to consider diversity in the biophysical environment, rural livelihoods, water, sanitation, education, indigenous farming practices and local food cultures and traditions.