Understanding power in food policy: a critical scoping review of methods to guide future research

Power disparities in the food system are reflected in food policy processes and outcomes that are failing to address major food system challenges. As interest in investigating and addressing these power disparities grows, it is important to assess the research methods that have been used to examine power in food policy, and how methodological choices shape our understanding. This scoping review critically maps the methodological approaches applied in empirical studies of power in national-level food policy. A systematic search across fourteen databases identified 46 empirical studies published between 2014 and 2025: 33 qualitative, 9 discourse analytic and 4 quantitative. Qualitative research examined the relative power of food system actors and their strategies, as well as the structural dynamics sustaining unequal influence. Quantitative analyses studied the patterns of structural and positional power within policy networks and across political systems. Discourse analytic studies examined how ideas and discourses construct and legitimize understandings of food policy problems and solutions. Across methods, most research investigates how entrenched power constrains progress on food system challenges, with fewer studies exploring examples of resistance. Each approach demonstrates strengths and limitations that are shaped by theory and data. This review highlights the need for methodological innovation-including applying mixed methods, longitudinal designs, and comparative analyses-to expand our understanding of power in food policy and identify actionable strategies to address disparities for the benefit of people and planet.