Civil society engagement in food systems governance in Canada: Experiences, gaps, and possibilities

Civil society organizations (CSOs) commonly expe-rience food systems governance as imposed by governments from the top down and as unduly influenced by a small group of private sector actors that hold disproportionate power. This uneven influence significantly impacts the activities and relationships that determine the nature and orienta-tion of food systems. In contrast, some CSOs have sought to establish participatory governance struc-tures that are more democratic, accessible, collabo-rative, and rooted in social and environmental justice. Our research seeks to better understand the experiences of CSOs across the food systems gov-ernance landscape and critically analyze the suc-cesses, challenges, and future opportunities for establishing collaborative governance processes