Do global food system trends reflect local realities? Perceptions of stakeholders
4 affiliations
- 1Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- 2Centre for Public Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
- 3Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- 4WHO Collaboration Centre for Health in All Policies and Social Determinants of Health, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
Abstract
Nairobi illustrates the multifaceted challenges faced by rapidly urbanising cities, particularly in relation to urban food systems. However, existing studies rarely map the mechanisms through which food system drivers interact, nor sufficiently explore how different stakeholders experience the same food system pressures. This study applies the High Level Panel of Experts framework (HLPE) to explore stakeholders’ perceptions on drivers shaping Nairobi’s urban food system and examines how they interact within the food system. Using a qualitative methodology, 15 drivers were identified with climate change cutting across many of them. Results highlight how stakeholders’ power, role, and positioning within the city’s food system shape which impacts occur, which drivers are influential, and whose vulnerabilities persist. These dynamics, together with governance structures and resource prioritisation were shown to shape inefficiencies within Nairobi’s food system. Overall, the study demonstrates that Nairobi’s food system is shaped by the interactions of several drivers, yet transformative change remains limited. These findings advance understanding of urban food systems by providing insights into interlinkages shaping the transformation and the conditions under which it takes place. The findings support the HLPE framework while extending it by demonstrating the need for adaptation to local contexts alongside understanding of factors that hinder transformative potential. The findings further show that stakeholders’ perceptions differ according to vulnerabilities and points of interaction with the food system. This underscores the need for adopting a systems and multi-narrative approach and highlights the importance of grounding policies in local perceptions and realities. Author summary: The HLPE framework supports a more systemic focus but requires adjustment to the local context as well as understanding factors which hold back collaboration and transformative potential. Urban food systems can become transformed, but too often efforts remain fragmented with limited understanding of local perceptions, context, and realities. This study examined multiple perspectives of food system actors in Nairobi to understand the baseline conditions and pathways for transformative change. The qualitative study identified importance of addressing interlinkages between different drivers as well as the knowledge-based, structural, political, and economic context for transformative action.
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BibTeX
@article{tapkigen2026global,
title = {{Do global food system trends reflect local realities? Perceptions of stakeholders}},
author = {Janet Tapkigen and Lydia Kaduka and Schiller Mbuka and Jutta Pulkki and Seeromanie Harding and Meri Koivusalo},
journal = {PLOS Sustainability and Transformation},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pstr.0000287},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000287},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Do global food system trends reflect local realities? Perceptions of stakeholders
AU - Janet Tapkigen
AU - Lydia Kaduka
AU - Schiller Mbuka
AU - Jutta Pulkki
AU - Seeromanie Harding
AU - Meri Koivusalo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - PLOS Sustainability and Transformation
DO - 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000287
UR - https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000287
AB - Nairobi illustrates the multifaceted challenges faced by rapidly urbanising cities, particularly in relation to urban food systems. However, existing studies rarely map the mechanisms through which food system drivers interact, nor sufficiently explore how different stakeholders experience the same food system pressures. This study applies the High Level Panel of Experts framework (HLPE) to explore stakeholders’ perceptions on drivers shaping Nairobi’s urban food system and examines how they interact within the food system. Using a qualitative methodology, 15 drivers were identified with climate change cutting across many of them. Results highlight how stakeholders’ power, role, and positioning within the city’s food system shape which impacts occur, which drivers are influential, and whose vulnerabilities persist. These dynamics, together with governance structures and resource prioritisation were shown to shape inefficiencies within Nairobi’s food system. Overall, the study demonstrates that Nairobi’s food system is shaped by the interactions of several drivers, yet transformative change remains limited. These findings advance understanding of urban food systems by providing insights into interlinkages shaping the transformation and the conditions under which it takes place. The findings support the HLPE framework while extending it by demonstrating the need for adaptation to local contexts alongside understanding of factors that hinder transformative potential. The findings further show that stakeholders’ perceptions differ according to vulnerabilities and points of interaction with the food system. This underscores the need for adopting a systems and multi-narrative approach and highlights the importance of grounding policies in local perceptions and realities. Author summary: The HLPE framework supports a more systemic focus but requires adjustment to the local context as well as understanding factors which hold back collaboration and transformative potential. Urban food systems can become transformed, but too often efforts remain fragmented with limited understanding of local perceptions, context, and realities. This study examined multiple perspectives of food system actors in Nairobi to understand the baseline conditions and pathways for transformative change. The qualitative study identified importance of addressing interlinkages between different drivers as well as the knowledge-based, structural, political, and economic context for transformative action.
SN - 2767-3197
ER -