In the complex landscape of global food security, protracted crises present an enduring challenge that defies simplistic solutions. Traditionally, responses to food insecurity in such contexts have oscillated between two dominant paradigms: emergency humanitarian aid to address immediate nutritional needs, and development-focused interventions aimed at economic upliftment. However, this binary framework critically overlooks deeper, structural forces that underpin and exacerbate food system vulnerabilities. A groundbreaking study published in Nature Food by Tak, Hussain, Zargar, and colleagues confronts this omission by centering settler colonialism as a pivotal factor in the degradation—or “de-development”—of food systems during prolonged crises. Their work compels a re-examination of prevailing policy approaches through a lens attentive to the legacies and ongoing realities of colonial violence and land dispossession.
At the heart of this research is the concept of “slow violence,” a term that captures the insidious, often invisible forms of harm inflicted over extended periods. Unlike the rapid destruction typically associated with conflict or environmental disasters, slow violence manifests cumulatively—eroding ecosystems, undermining Indigenous food sovereignties, and precipitating structural food insecurity without dramatic headline-grabbing events. Settler colonial states, wielding legal and political apparatuses, have systematically orchestrated processes that dispossess Indigenous or native peoples from their ancestral lands, thereby dismantling traditional food systems that once sustained multiple generations. This slow violence is embedded in policy frameworks and governance structures that persistently marginalize Indigenous food practices, knowledge, and access to land.
What emerges from this analysis is a profound critique of conventional policy responses that isolate food insecurity into discrete emergencies or developmental deficits. Humanitarian aid, while crucial in short-term relief, often functions as a band-aid rather than addressing the root causes of food system collapse. Conversely, development strategies predicated on integration into globalized agricultural markets fail to recognize the foundational injustice of colonial dispossession and often replicate patterns of exclusion and dependency. Consequently, both paradigms inadvertently perpetuate cycles of deprivation and malnutrition among Indigenous populations caught in protracted crises.
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The authors propose a reframing of food systems scholarship and policy to incorporate a historical-materialist understanding of colonialism’s enduring imprint. Settler colonialism is not a relic of the past but a continuing structure that shapes access to land, water, and food resources. This persistent colonial matrix operates through state violence—both overt and structural—by enforcing legal property regimes, restricting mobility, and eroding Indigenous governance over food production and distribution. Recognizing these mechanisms is vital for developing interventions that promote food sovereignty and restoration rather than mere subsistence or market integration.
One of the startling revelations is how the state—ostensibly a caretaker of public welfare—functions simultaneously as an agent of dispossession. Through legal frameworks that facilitate land acquisition by settler populations or multinational agribusinesses, states undermine Indigenous food systems’ resilience. This dynamic is compounded by selective recognition or outright denial of Indigenous rights, resulting in structural invisibility of these communities within national food security strategies. The resulting food system configurations often prioritize extractive industries and monocultural farming, heightening vulnerability to environmental shocks and social dislocation.
The intersection of settler colonialism and food systems is further complicated by environmental degradation linked to land dispossession. The decimation of biodiversity, contamination of water sources, and disruption of seasonal cycles directly impair Indigenous food growing, hunting, and gathering practices. These environmental impacts are not incidental but deliberate outcomes of colonial expansionist policies that prioritize resource extraction and capitalist agricultural models over ecological stewardship. The authors argue that addressing food insecurity in these contexts requires integrating ecological restoration with decolonizing land governance frameworks.
In addition to structural and environmental dimensions, the authors highlight how settler colonialism affects cultural and social relations surrounding food. Food systems are deeply embedded within Indigenous cosmologies, social practices, and knowledge systems that reinforce community cohesion and identity. Displacement and erosion of access to traditional foods sever these connections, contributing to social disintegration and loss of cultural heritage. Efforts to revitalize food systems in protracted crises must therefore engage with Indigenous epistemologies and support community-led food sovereignty initiatives.
A key methodological contribution of this study is the integration of political ecology and decolonial theory to illuminate the multifaceted effects of settler colonialism on food systems. By traversing disciplinary boundaries, the authors provide a robust analytical framework that captures the interplay between historical trajectories, state policies, and local food practices. This approach challenges reductive narratives of underdevelopment or humanitarian dependency and foregrounds power dynamics that have long dictated food access and production in crisis zones.
Moreover, the study underscores the necessity of centering Indigenous voices in research and policymaking. Too often, affected communities are positioned as passive recipients of aid or subjects of development projects rather than active agents with rich, place-based knowledge. Empowering Indigenous leadership in designing and implementing food systems interventions is critical for achieving sustainable and just outcomes. This entails restructuring institutional mechanisms to accommodate plural legal systems and governance arrangements reflective of Indigenous sovereignties.
The implications for international development and humanitarian organizations are profound. Agencies must rethink programmatic frameworks to move beyond short-term relief or market-driven approaches towards strategies that address systemic land dispossession and socio-political marginalization. Collaborative frameworks fostering multi-scalar alliances—between Indigenous peoples, state actors willing to reform, and civil society—can promote policy coherence grounded in justice. This realignment requires confronting entrenched interests and power asymmetries embedded in current food security regimes.
Critically, the authors’ framework opens pathways for envisioning food system recovery that is not merely restorative but transformative. Decolonizing food systems involves reclaiming land rights, re-centering Indigenous foodways, and dismantling settler state practices that generate structural harm. Such transformation redefines what food security means—not just caloric availability but ecological sustainability, cultural integrity, and self-determination. This reconceptualization beckons a radical shift in global food policy discourses and practices.
This research arrives at a pivotal moment as climate change, conflict, and economic volatility converge to exacerbate food crises worldwide. Understanding how settler colonial legacies intersect with these drivers in protracted crisis settings is indispensable for anticipating risks and designing resilient food systems. Scholars and practitioners alike are called to expand their analytical scope beyond immediate triggers to structural histories that continue shaping vulnerabilities in marginalized landscapes.
In essence, the study by Tak and colleagues invites a paradigm shift: confronting settler colonialism’s sustained violence as central to the erosion of food systems in protracted crises. Such confrontation requires rigorous scholarship and courageous policymaking committed to justice and equity. Ignoring these dynamics not only perpetuates suffering but compromises the effectiveness of interventions aimed at feeding the world’s most vulnerable populations. Recognizing and dismantling the colonial matrices governing food systems can illuminate pathways towards food sovereignty and durable peace in regions long burdened by instability.
As the global community grapples with mounting food insecurity amid compounding crises, this work magnifies the urgent need to adopt a decolonial stance in food systems research and policy. Academic inquiry must continue unraveling the complex interactions between settler colonial structures and food system outcomes, while practitioners translate these insights into transformative action. Only through such integrated efforts can we hope to forge a more just and resilient global food future.
The findings also compel reflection on the role of international legal frameworks and human rights norms in protecting Indigenous food systems. Strengthening the implementation of instruments recognizing Indigenous land and resource rights, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), becomes imperative. Operationalizing these standards requires genuine political will and inclusive governance to ensure accountability for violations that perpetuate food system de-development.
Ultimately, reimagining food security in protracted crises demands a holistic, decolonial praxis—one that situates Indigenous peoples’ struggles at the center and confronts systemic violence with integrity. This paradigm offers a hopeful horizon where food systems can heal, regenerate, and sustain all life, free from the shadows of dispossession.
Subject of Research: The role of settler colonialism in the systemic degradation of Indigenous food systems within protracted crises.
Article Title: Settler colonialism de-develops food systems in protracted crises.
Article References:
Tak, M., Hussain, S.B., Zargar, H. et al. Settler colonialism de-develops food systems in protracted crises. Nat Food (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01211-1
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Tags: colonial legacies in food policiesecological degradation and indigenous rightseconomic upliftment and food systemsemergency responses to food criseshumanitarian aid limitations in crisesIndigenous food sovereignty challengesland dispossession and food securityprotracted crises and agriculturere-examining food security frameworkssettler colonialism and food insecurityslow violence and food systemsstructural vulnerabilities in food systems