Focus on Trade and Food Systems

International trade underlies an increasingly globalized food system. Trade stabilizes food supplies by mitigating local shortages and crop failures. Trade drives economic growth through agricultural exports and access to better inputs. Specialization and comparative advantage encourage more efficient food production, while knowledge and technology transfer facilitate sustainable practices. However, concerns about the safety of imported foods can arise, and overreliance on trade may increase the vulnerability of domestic markets to foreign supply disruptions. Trade can deepen economic inequality if it contributes to unemployment by displacing domestic production. Environmental concerns, including long-distance transportation and unsustainable farming, may result in ecological issues. Market access barriers may limit opportunities for some nations, and inequitable trade agreements can favor larger economies, harming local industries. This focus issue will cover recent developments and challenges in the field of international trade as it relates to food products, including but not limited to:

• Trade policies to achieve climate mitigation objectives (e.g., zero-deforestation regulations, border tax adjustment mechanisms).
• Private-sector initiatives, including sustainability standards and commitments and the tradeoffs between equity concerns and sustainable practices.
• Invasive species and the effects on international trade.
• Trade and natural resources: water, land, and Biodiversity.
• Trade and supply chain resilience.

All focus issue articles are subject to the same review process as regular Environmental Research: Food System articles. Please submit your article via our online submission form. You should choose Focus on Trade and Food Systems from the drop-down menu.

For more comprehensive information on preparing your article for submission and the options for submitting your article, please see our author guidelines.

Submissions will be accepted until 31 December 2024 however submissions earlier than this date are encouraged.

As part of our commitment to open science, IOP Publishing is currently covering the article publication charge (APC) for all articles published in the journal.