Big food is generally used as a term of criticism, to refer to the most powerful global food industry players. Most commonly it denotes large companies from the food manufacturing, processing and retailing sectors, but can also be used to refer to large agricultural producers as well as companies that provide agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.
Table recommended resources
Engaging with Big Food: marriage or mirage?
This paper analyses the concept of “trust” in relation to engaging “Big Food” in food systems transformations. Drawing on case studies on plastic…
Changing diets threaten public health & the environment
In this piece, Judy Bankman introduces key elements of disease, diet, and sustainability relevant to the expansion of Western-style consumption…
Big Food opting for regenerative agriculture
According to this article from Civil Eats, several large food companies, including General Mills, Danone,…
What is ultra-processed food? And why do people disagree about its utility as a concept?
The increasing consumption of industrially processed convenience foods, soft drinks, and fast foods has been associated with a rise in non-…
Op-ed: “Big Food” vs. sustainable, healthy diets
This op-ed by FCRN member Mia MacDonald and Judy Bankman, both of US think tank Brighter Green…
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Research Library - Understanding Obesity
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