Affiliation:
1. Institute of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Academy, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Abstract
A holistic Good Agents Means Processes Order Sustainability (GAMPOS) framework for an adequate understanding of agri-food governance and assessing its quality is suggested, incorporating the interdisciplinary new institutional economics methodology. Agri-food governance is defined as a complex system with five components: (1) agri-food and related agents, (2) means (rules, forms, and mechanisms) that govern agents’ behavior, activities, and relationships, (3) processes and activities related to making managerial decisions, (4) specific social order resulting from the governing process, and (5) outcomes of the functioning of the system in terms of the realization of sustainable development goals. To assess the quality of agri-food governance, a multidimensional hierarchical system with good governance 11 principles, 21 criteria, and 36 indicators and reference values is presented. A comprehensive assessment of agrarian governance in Bulgaria, based on statistical and expert data, showed that its overall quality is at a moderate EU level. In terms of sustainability, the quality of governance is at a good level, while for process, means, and order, it is at a satisfactory level. The quality of agrarian governance is highest in terms of equity and solidarity and the good functioning public sector. The quality of agrarian governance is lowest in terms of stakeholder involvement and the good working private sector. In the future, in the latter two areas, combined actions of public, private, and collective agents are needed to improve the country’s agri-food governance.
Funder
the National Science Fund of Bulgaria
Reference61 articles.
1. Advancing the research agenda on food systems governance and transformation;Delaney;Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain.,2019
2. Reconfiguring Food Systems Governance: The UNFSS and the Battle Over Authority and Legitimacy;Canfield;Development,2021
3. Cotula, L. (2024, January 03). Renegotiating Control in Global Food Governance. Agrar- & Ernährungspolitik April 2022. Available online: https://www.welthungerhilfe.de/welternaehrung/rubriken/agrar-ernaehrungspolitik/renegotiating-control-in-global-food-governance.
4. Assessing governability of agricultural systems: Municipal agricultural planning in Metro Vancouver, Canada;Dring;Front. Sustain. Food Syst.,2023
5. Dongyu, Q., Ngcaba, N., and Mubarak, R. (2022). Building Sustainable Agrifood Systems: Legislation and Governance, UNEP. Available online: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/speech/building-sustainable-agrifood-systems-legislation-and-governance.