A quest for questions: The JUSTRA as a matrix for navigating just food system transformations in an era of uncertainty
A just food system transformation is imperative to meet this century's goals of environmental sustainability, economic fairness, and equitable social well-being. While considerations of justice are beginning to inform food system transformation debates, there remains a lack of conceptual and practical integration of these two historically separate disciplinary perspectives. This perspective therefore proposes the just transformation matrix (JUSTRA), which integrates justice and transformation concerns using an interrogative approach. Interrogatives probe the historical, present, and future intersections of justice with specific food system elements. If used conscientiously, the JUSTRA can assist a wide spectrum of food system actors in strategizing, implementing, and monitoring just food system transformations. It can also help stakeholders to more thoughtfully engage with power imbalances both among users and in the broader food system more broadly—if used “in bona fides.” Thus, while further testing is necessary to fully realize the potential of the JUSTRA, the matrix can become a powerful tool in multi-stakeholder dialogues to navigate unpredictable, diverse, and power-laden complexities of just food system transformations.
Authors
- Andy Hall (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8580-6569)
- Kristiaan P.W. Kok (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7174-1453)
- Bianca Carducci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3815-3048)
- Michele‐Lee Moore
- Anna Norberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-1043)
- Jessica Fanzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6760-1359)
- Line Gordon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-4340)
- Anne Charlotte Bunge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7587-9986)
- Per Olsson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9038-4786)
- Mary Scheuermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2638-5335)
- Tim G. Williams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5642-728X)
- Costanza Conti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6138-1543)
- Anne Barnhill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1478-6609)
- Claire Kremen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6909-4605)
- Rachel Mazac (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0287-6984)
- Sofie te Wierik
- Sumati Bajaj
- Matthew Gibson
- Thais Diniz Oliveira
- Amar Laila
Institutions
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Center for Global Development (US)
- Stockholm Resilience Centre (SE)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- Cornell University (US)
- M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (IN)
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (FI)
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (US)
- New York State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (US)
- Health Sciences and Nutrition (AU)
- Institute for Sustainability (GB)
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (DE)
- Columbia University (US)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- One Earth
- Published
- 2025-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101178
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 38.66
Funders
- IKEA Foundation