Strengthening Community Governance for Resilient and Sustainable Food Futures

The field of sustainable food systems increasingly recognizes the vital role of multi-level governance, particularly the often-overlooked contributions of community governments. Constitutional frameworks typically define political power at federal, state, and municipal levels, but indigenous and community-based governance structures offer a distinct and critical form of autonomy, rooted in local self-determination. These governments, guided by traditional normative systems, have cultivated profound expertise in managing land, resources, and agricultural practices suited to their specific environmental and cultural contexts. Recent research underscores the benefits of integrating local knowledge and collective decision-making for enhancing food system resilience. However, persistent challenges—including legal ambiguities, insufficient institutional support, and inconsistent recognition in public policy—impede the full realization of community governments’ potential to foster sustainable and culturally appropriate food systems.

This Research Topic aims to elucidate and critically examine the unique contributions of community governments to resilient and sustainable food systems. It seeks to explore how indigenous and local governance structures mediate agricultural adaptation to environmental stressors, facilitate inclusive and participatory management, and promote food security while preserving cultural identity. The Topic further invites investigations into the institutional, legal, and policy frameworks necessary to empower community governments and the implications of such empowerment for broader food system sustainability. Central questions include: What adaptive strategies have community governments developed in response to climate change? How does community-driven governance influence cooperation, support networks, and food sovereignty? What forms of legal and policy support are most effective?

This Research Topic focuses on the intersection of community governance, food system sustainability, and resilience, with particular emphasis on the experiences and practices of indigenous and local communities. While studies from multiple regions and contexts are welcome, the scope is limited to research on the institutional, legal, cultural, and practical dimensions of community-managed food systems.

- To gather further insights in this area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- The legal and constitutional recognition of community governments in food system governance

- Traditional and indigenous knowledge in agricultural adaptation and ecosystem management

- Strengthening local resilience to climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource degradation

- Mechanisms for promoting inclusive participation and solidarity among food system actors

- Policy frameworks and institutional innovations supporting community governance

- The impact of local governance on food security, food sovereignty, and reduction in external dependencies

- The interplay between cultural identity, sustainable practices, and food system resilience

Keywords: Autonomy; community governments; sustainable food systems; constitutional recognition; Local participation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.