The Neoliberal Regime in the Agri-Food Sector ― Crisis, Resilience and Restructuring

For the last three decades, the Neoliberal regime, emphasising economic growth through deregulation, free trade and the role of the private sector, has shaped production and consumption processes in agriculture and food. This book presents an informed, constructive dialogue around the thesis that we have now reached some institutional and material limits. Is the Neoliberal regime exhausted? Are we at the outset of a new regime? And if so, what are the opportunities and risks linked to the construction of a new regime? The book advances a critical evaluation of the evidence supporting claims of rupture of, or incursions into, the Neoliberal model. It also analyzes pragmatic responses to these critiques including policy initiatives, social mobilization and experimentation at various scales and points of entry.

The book surveys and synthesizes a range of sociological frames designed to grapple with the concepts of systemic crisis and transitions. Empirical contributions include longitudinal analysis of secondary data and case studies of food and agriculture from around the globe. These highlight particular aspects of crisis and responses, including the potential for continued resilience, a neo-productivist return, as well as the emergence of new models and the scaling up of existing alternative models.

Steven Wolf is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University, USA. He is alsoa senior lecturer in the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College, University of London, UK.

Alessandro Bonanno is Texas State University System Regents’ Professor of Sociology, based at Sam Houston State University, Texas, USA.