Citizen voice and state response in the context of food system transformations

• Food activism remains important for keeping critical issues on the agenda. • State responses evolve over time, ranging from outright repression to collaboration, the benefits often incremental. • Rising corporate control of food systems is pushing movements to demand new human rights. • Dynamic interactions between food activism and state responses are key to building inclusive governance structures. • Developing sustainable and equitable alternatives are essential for food systems transformations. This paper reviews the dynamic interplay between food activism and state responses, focusing on the diverse ways and strategies used by food movements to advocate for food systems transformation. More so, in a context of growing corporate control in food systems, food activism has been promoting just and sustainable alternatives. State reactions have been evolving, ranging from repression to policy change, to, in some cases, collaboration. Through a combination of summative content analysis of key themes across the literature and a thematic exploration of case studies, the paper highlights key trends in food activism and examines how governments have responded to them. By analysing the interactions between citizens and governments, this paper offers insights for both activists and policymakers seeking to build more inclusive and participatory food governance structures, in their efforts to transform food systems.