Diffusion of Power in Agro-Food Policy Networks

Abstract

The central hypothesis is that power relations in the agro-food system today, although much more complex than the ancient agrarian societies, are related to the same basic human activities particularly producing, saving, allocating, orientating, disciplining and polity constructing. The research design is mainly based on 'the analysis of the power balance', an approach deducted from the sociology of human figurations. Six case studies illustrate the dimension of power in the agro-food system today. these studies draw attention to shifts in power in the (mutual related) fields of biogenetic engineering, fundamental rights of plant breeders, liberalization of the world trade for agro-food products, the EU-CAP policy during and after the EU enlargement, and the renewal of regional and local polity. In all cases state- and non-state actors are involved. These interrelated actors cause a fundamental disffusion of power.