Food Democracy, Politics of Food in Relation to Urbanisation and Sustainability: Understanding Participatory Practices and Policies.

Monday, 7 July 2025: 11:00-12:45
Location: FSE010 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
RC10 Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management (host committee)

Language: English

Food democracy as a policy and practice is central to a thriving nation. The core of food democracy is founded on people’s participation to actively contribute towards a food system that benefits all. All people should have access to adequate, safe, appropriate and nutritious food. The lack of prioritising food democracy has been partly responsible by the corporate food sectors globally.

The lack of principles based on Food democracy has contributed towards numerous social ills within societies. The ills have extended to governance and regulations that are undemocratic, unjust and exclude public participatory principles and practices. Child hunger and child mortality rates have been continual, whilst child malnutrition has been increasing. Many countries are pressured to meet the United Nations Global Nutrition targets by 2025, but will not be able to because current global policies are aligned with corporate food trade policies and practices.

This session focuses on analysing current global policies, and the measures or lack of adopted by governments and non- governmental organisations to sustain food democracy. Papers presented can include influencing related concerns such as globalisation, localisation, economic, political and social impacts. Undemocratic political practices have continued to negatively impact poverty, hunger and malnutrition globally and the practices of food democracy are ignored.

Session Organizer:
Sheetal BHOOLA, The University of Zululand, South Africa
Oral Presentations
Tribal FOOD and Culture
Jhaverbhai PATEL, School of Social Sciences, India; Dr.Ila MACWAN, Sardar Patel University, India
The Efficacy of South Africa’s National School Nutrition Program in the King Cetshwayo District, Kwazulu-Natal.
Sheetal BHOOLA, The University of Zululand, South Africa
Impact of Institutional Barriers on International Marketing of Healthcare Services: Elekta in the Emerging Market of South Africa
Maria FREGIDOU-MALAMA, University of Gävle, Sweden; Akmal HYDER, University of Gavle, Sweden; Michelle RYDBACK, University of Gävle, Sweden; Vannie NAIDOO, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Situating Sustainability at the Heart of Global South Efforts to Reduce Housing Deficits, Deepen Community Resilience and Engender Spatial Justice
Bheka NTSHANGASE, Mangosuthu University of Technology, South Africa
Fight for Landscape Formation: Discourse Analysis of Urban Activism in the 2018 Protest during Reconstruction of Reformatai Park in Vilnius (Lithuania)
Ingrida GECIENE, Lithuanian Social Research Centre, Lithuania; Karolis JONUTIS, Vilnius University, Lithuania
See more of: RC10 Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management
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