Food and International Relations on digital discourse during #WorldFoodSafetyDay 2023

¹ International Relations (Master Program), Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 55183
² Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jl. UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, 88400
³ Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 55183
⁴ Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: ali.maksum@fisipol.umy.ac.id

Abstract

Food is intertwined with several facets of international relations, such as commerce, economics, security, diplomacy, culture, and the environment. Recognizing the importance of food in international relations facilitates greater mutual understanding and cooperation among nations. Researching food in international relations on social media, including Twitter, is critical, especially as the world commemorates World Food Safety Day. Therefore, this research examines the hashtag #WorldFoodSafetyDay 2023 amid diverse food crises worldwide. This study used computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), especially NVivo, to undertake a content analysis of the hashtags #WorldFoodSafetyDay, which was celebrated on June 7, 2023, to better understand the food safety social media conversation. This study discovers that the majority of #WorldFoodSafetyDay-related conversations have a positive tone. Intriguingly, even though the conversation involved accounts from all over the globe, including Indonesia, Indian Twitter accounts appeared to dominate the discussion. Researching #WorldFoodSafetyDay on Twitter will provide a new perspective on the discourse on food issues in international relations.