Food as a common good

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Beyond the Price Tag: Why “Fresh” Food is More Than Just a Commodity

How we view food fundamentally shapes our policies and priorities. In today’s world, we often treat it as a commodity, valuing it by its market price¹. ( While this approach has driven economic growth, it often overlooks its broader impact on our environment, health, and communities ².

Consider fresh produce: it’s sensitive to environmental changes and has a short shelf life. If seen merely as a commodity, the focus shifts to intensive farming for cosmetic standards. This has led to global access to diverse foods but also contributes to the “double burden of nutrition”—both excess weight and micronutrient deficiencies ³.

Sourcing fresh produce globally for the lowest cost can help communities, but fair trade practices are crucial to bridge disparities and offer safety nets ⁴.

But food is far more than a comerciable good. It’s about nutrition, community, and culture. When we truly grasp this, food becomes a common good.

The demand for “perfect” produce leads to significant waste of edible fruits and vegetables that don’t meet strict market standards ⁵. While trade impacts food availability and prices, it’s vital to recognize food’s role as a common good. This means our food production needs to embrace biodiversity and sustainable practices, rather than just a few crops.

It’s time to integrate sustainability into our food policies and dietary planning. This is essential to boost access to nutritious foods for everyone, especially disadvantaged communities ³.

Let’s see food not just for its market value, but for its power to nourish, connect, and sustain us all.

1 Vivero-Pol, J.L. (2017). Food as commons or commodity? Exploring the links between normative valuations and agency in food transition, Sustainability, 9(3), p. 442.
2 Jackson, P., Rivera Ferre, M.G., Candel, J., Davies, A., Derani, C., de Vries, H., Dragović-Uzelac, V., Hoel, A.H., Holm, L. and Mathijs, E. (2021). Food as a commodity, human right or common good, Nature Food, 2(3), pp. 132-134.
3 FAO (2024a) The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2024 – Trade and nutrition: Policy coherence for healthy diets. Rome.
4 Loconto, A.M., Arnold, N., Silva-Castañeda, L. and Jimenez, A. (2021). Responsibilising the Fairtrade Premium: Imagining better decision-making, Journal of Rural Studies, 86, pp. 711-723.
5 FAO (2024b) The State of Food and Agriculture 2024 – Value-driven transformation of agrifood systems. Rome.