Power in International Climate Governance: Food Systems and Sovereignty in Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a leader among small island developing states (SIDS) working to influence global climate change governance, using international diplomacy as their best defense against the climate crisis. In 2023, Vanuatu spearheaded a successful campaign for the United Nations General Assembly to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) clarifying nations’ legal obligations related to climate change. This study uses food systems as a framework to explore Vanuatu’s success in its climate justice campaign, focusing on the relationships between food sovereignty, national power, and global governance. In particular, I seek to understand why Vanuatu’s advisory opinion campaign was successful when previous attempts were not. Using qualitative interviews with subject experts across disciplines as well as a quantitative comparison between island nations using a food systems index, this research reveals how Vanuatu’s food systems contribute to its political resilience. Building on rural studies and postcolonial studies, I challenge dominant narratives that portray islanders as powerless against the threat of climate change and instead highlight ni-Vanuatu strength, agency, and resilience. By focusing on Vanuatu’s food systems, I connect complex global processes and personal experiences at the individual and community levels. The International Court of Justice advisory opinion is a landmark development in global climate law, and the case study of Vanuatu has significant consequences for climate justice at an international scale. Additionally, this study has implications for how other SIDS and developing nations can leverage food systems for greater political and climate resilience.