Global threats, global changes and connected communities in the global agrofood system

This chapter seeks to help develop a conceptual basis for developing strategies to promote the process of global change required to deal with contemporary global problems. It does so, by drawing upon insights from Ulrich Beck's work on (global) risk society and reflexive modernization so as to understand the complex relations between previous development patterns, current problems and the conditions for future global changes.
Drawing on the case of the implementation (in France, Germany and Portugal) of measure to bring the EU's Common Agricultural Polocy (CAP) more in line with sustainable development, we conclude that here reflexive modernization was promoted by local communities but, ironically, also by liberalization of global trade; occurred espeially when the ground had been prepared by earlier developments; and may create their own side effects.