The Rise of Asia-Pacific Agribusiness in the Global South—The Corporate Food Regime Under the Third Regionalism.

The article examines the rise of Southern food corporations from the Asia-Pacific within the global corporate food regime, a concept rooted in food regime theory that historically emphasized Global North dominance in food production and trade since the 1800s. It argues that Asia-Pacific-centered Third Regionalism—characterized by regional free trade agreements (FTAs) that minimize contentious issues like export subsidies, Market Economy Status (MES), and state-owned enterprises (SOEs)—has enabled these Southern corporations, often state-owned or state-holding, to expand transnationally and reshape food security governance. This shift has also influenced the food sovereignty movement, which has localized and adapted its focus to cooperate more with Southern governments and corporations, emphasizing livelihood sovereignty and ecological agriculture rather than solely opposing Northern corporate dominance. The article highlights ongoing complexities, including divergent stances among Global South food sovereignty groups toward genetically modified (GM) crops promoted by some Asia-Pacific Southern corporations, suggesting this as an area for further research.