Injustices are prevalent in food systems, where the accumulation of vast wealth is possible for a few, yet one in ten people remain hungry. Here, for 194 countries we combine aquatic food production, distribution and consumption data with corresponding national policy documents and, drawing on theories of social justice, explore whether barriers to participation explain unequal distributions of benefits. Using Bayesian models, we find economic and political barriers are associated with lower wealth-based benefits; countries produce and consume less when wealth, formal education and voice and accountability are lacking. In contrast, social barriers are associated with lower welfare-based benefits; aquatic foods are less affordable where gender inequality is greater. Our analyses of policy documents reveal a frequent failure to address political and gender-based barriers. However, policies linked to more just food system outcomes centre principles of human rights, specify inclusive decision-making processes and identify and challenge drivers of injustice.

粮食系统中普遍存在不公正现象，少数人有可能积累大量财富，但十分之一的人仍处于饥饿状态。在这里，我们将 194 个国家的水产食品生产、分配和消费数据与相应的国家政策文件相结合，并利用社会正义理论，探讨参与障碍是否可以解释利益分配不均。使用贝叶斯模型，我们发现经济和政治障碍与较低的基于财富的收益相关；当缺乏财富、正规教育、发言权和问责制时，国家的生产和消费就会减少。相比之下，社会障碍与较低的福利相关；在性别不平等程度较高的地方，水产食品的价格较低。我们对政策文件的分析表明，经常未能解决政治和基于性别的障碍。然而，与更公正的粮食系统结果相关的政策以人权为中心原则，具体说明包容性决策过程，并确定和挑战不公正的驱动因素。