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Private agrifood governance: conclusions, observations and provocations

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Abstract

This paper concludes the special issue of Agriculture and Human Values devoted to private governance of global agri-food systems. Rather than aiming to summarize the findings of the various papers that make up the issue, it highlights a number of cross-cutting issues relating to the increasing role of private governance. Key issues that are discussed include the legitimacy of private governance of agri-food systems and the scope for trade-off between its various dimensions, private governance in a global context and the motivation for firms to engage in governance. Throughout, the major focus is on unresolved issues and on-going controversies with the intention of stimulating further research in this area.

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Abbreviations

HEBI:

Horticulture Ethical Business Initiative

IAAH:

International Alliance Against Hunger

GAIN:

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

NGO:

Non-governmental organization

RSPO:

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Spencer Henson

  2. Globalisation Team, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RE, UK

    Spencer Henson

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  1. Spencer Henson
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Correspondence to Spencer Henson.

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Henson, S. Private agrifood governance: conclusions, observations and provocations. Agric Hum Values 28, 443–451 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-011-9309-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-011-9309-y

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