Lecture 1: The Global Food System and Driving Forces

Abstract

The global food system consists of many local and national food systems that for the most part are linked through trade and/or information sharing. For the purpose of policy analysis it is useful to think of the food system as a dynamic behavioral system within which various stakeholder groups, who influence the system, can be influenced by policy interventions. The global food system is affected by several driving forces, including globalization, technological change, and changes in the relative competitive power of the stakeholder groups.