Food nanotechnologies and policy challenges

Over the last twenty years, nanotechnology has slowly entered the agrifood sector. Meanwhile, testimonies of possible risks associated with the new nanomaterials were collected. This article investigates the reasons for the delay in regulatory intervention with respect to nanotechnology in the agrifood sector. Findings show that the unregulated introduction of nanomaterials into the food system is the result of the current neoliberal food policy, and the power struggles that govern the economic, social and political dynamics of the global supply chain. It is therefore necessary to put at the center of the regulatory debate the question concerning technology. Specifically, how technology influences power relationships within society should be studied. In other words, attention should be shifted from efficiency issues to power issues. New technologies should be assessed from a political perspective rather than an economic or ethical perspective.