Role of data governance in food and nutrition security: insights from a multi-method approach to public policy and practices in Chile

Abstract

Sustainable food systems and their governance, particularly what’s related to the role of data and information, are essential for ensuring health, heritage, and environmental sustainability. This thesis investigates how an integrated and diversified data governance approach for food and nutrition security (FNS) can effectively address Chile's double burden of malnutrition. In order to assess these mechanisms and their complexity, this research includes (i) a literature review to explore the emerging debates on data governance within the field of FNS, (ii) a policy integration and coherence analysis at the national level through FNS public programs, (ii) a demographic and spatial food insecurity distribution analysis, and (iii) a reflective piece on multimethod approaches to research and knowledge creation. Key findings indicate that current debates call for integrating diverse data, enhancing data quality and access, and developing robust, ethical, and culturally sensitive governance frameworks. While there is some interministerial governance integration, coherence with the National Policy of Food and Nutrition is insufficient. Vulnerable households in Chile face significant challenges in meeting recommended dietary intakes, with socio-demographic and territorial factors influencing dietary diversity. Effective governance of food systems requires a multi-level approach that integrates national policies, identifies groups most at risk of food insecurity, and adopts a multimethod strategy to enable participatory co-creation and broader dissemination of data and knowledge. These strategies are essential for achieving sustainable diets and addressing food security challenges in diverse contexts. Future research should focus on exploring challenges in program execution, considering contextual variations in policy implementation, expanding the scope to include other government bodies and civil society organizations, and analyzing temporal variations in geospatial analysis to identify differences and interactions in critical food groups.