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England’s food policy coordination and the Covid-19 response

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  • Kelly Parsons

    (University of Hertfordshire)

  • David Barling

    (University of Hertfordshire)

Abstract

The impact of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the response of government and non-government actors, from February-September 2020, offers critical insights into the current state of England’s food policy processes and operations, and in particular the coordination of national food policy approaches. This study aims to clarify and solidify the discourse around food policy coordination by differentiating between routine coordination of the activities of government, and strategic coordination of such policy activities with higher-level strategic goals, such as those associated with a healthy and sustainable food system. This framework is applied to the case study based on documentary analysis. In detailing the evidence of coordination in the response, including examples of cross-government working, and collaboration across the public, private and third sectors, the findings illustrate the breadth of actors which constituted the policy and governance response. These included public policymakers in national and local governments, and from a range of different government departments; private sector food businesses; and third sector organisations. There was a high level of routine coordination, but also instances of disconnection and delay. A lack of strategic coordination provides an explanatory device for several instances of disconnection and incoherence, including interventions which failed to prioritise nutrition-related health, and the working conditions of those employed in the food sector. The routine-strategic distinction can be deployed to inform discussions on the types of policy coordination mechanisms, such as cross–cutting taskforces or bodies, which might be instituted to support connected working on food.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelly Parsons & David Barling, 2022. "England’s food policy coordination and the Covid-19 response," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(4), pages 1027-1043, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:14:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s12571-022-01280-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01280-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gwen DeBoe & Koen Deconinck & Ben Henderson & Jussi Lankoski, 2020. "Reforming Agricultural Policies Will Help to Improve Environmental Performance," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 19(1), pages 30-35, April.
    2. Jeroen Candel & Carsten Daugbjerg, 2020. "Overcoming the dependent variable problem in studying food policy," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(1), pages 169-178, February.
    3. Candel, Jeroen J.L. & Pereira, Laura, 2017. "Towards integrated food policy: Main challenges and steps ahead," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 89-92.
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    Cited by:

    1. Giulia Borghesi & Piergiuseppe Morone, 2023. "A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 261-280, February.
    2. Monticone, Francesca & Barling, David & Parsons, Kelly & Samoggia, Antonella, 2023. "Identifying food policy coherence in Italian regional policies: The case of Emilia-Romagna," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

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