Governance for food security. A framework for social learning and scenario building

Food security is one of the greatest challenges that characterises our times. One central argument in related conferences and symposia is the need to increase production for a growing population. However, major international organisations and other research institutions hold instead that food production exceeds current need and the reasons of food insecurity reside more in the complex concurrence and interdependence of poverty, access to food, local economic development and political and socioeconomic circumstances. Governance for sustainability is presented in this article as a process of multidisciplinary and participatory social learning about these interdependences, both general criteria and the context-based practices to which decision-makers are accountable. In order to reflect this approach a ‘GAME' (Governance Assessment Matrix Exercise) methodology and framework is developed to inform more evidence-based and accountable decision making