This article attempts to look at the theme of food security through a powerful contextual framework of global value chains. Both these themes have recently been explored independently in a great depth. The article, however, examines the synergic linkage between the two and especially how a domestic policy framework informed by a value chain-based perspective could offer a valuable guidance to governments, policy makers and other stakeholders to more intuitively conceive some of the fundamental food security challenges as well as to adopt remedial follow-up actions. In order to assist this consideration, a conceptual or definitional structure of value chains has been proposed in section 2 of the article by looking specifically at 'value' and 'chain' aspects. A section of the article is also devoted to the multilateral trade rules under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the ongoing Doha negotiating discussions underlining their enabling role in exploiting the synergic linkage between food security and agriculture value chains.
Journal of World Trade