Food Economy : Global Issues and Challenges

The food economy is increasingly shaped by such new issues as sustainability, safety and quality standards, consumer health, and industry concentration. Cultural and ethical arguments gain momentum when aligned with issues such as economic welfare and stakeholder interests. The food economy grows ever more global and encompasses more elusive elements like trust, integrity, transparency, corporate social responsibility and creating emotional bonds with customers. The food economy is inextricably interrelated with globalisation, changes in consumer demand for food and energy, the ICT revolution, sustainability issues, and shifts in the relationship between private companies and public regulators. The Food Economy explores a variety of trends and topics from the broad perspective that their evolution is interdependent with all kinds of counter currents and opposite notions: scarcity goes together with abundance, public and private initiatives co-evolve, slow food is connected with fast food, global brands and local products exist simultaneously. The Food Economy devotes chapters to existing and emerging issues and challenges of the expanding food economy. The Food Economy is relevant to academics, students, policymakers and consumers who are interested in recent developments in the food system and their implications for the food policy and research agendas in the years to come.