‘Food for thought’ Seminar 6th December 2007

Dr Jane Midgley

• Food featured heavily in public debates and covered many areas of interest to progressives

• Evident that there was no coherent or distinct food policy for the UK

• What role can public policy play in relation to food and could a progressive food policy be developed

2

Project background

What is food policy?

• Developed rather than developing nations

• All things to all men

• E.g.

3 themes

1. Sustainability

2. Risk based governance

3. Food security

Not mutually exclusive – highlight complex and often contradictory objectives that underpin our approach to food, disarray and policy pressures.

Sustainability

• SCP focus but really on food industry - not production, not consumption

• UK food production futures – sectoral policy, role of food production (by-product rather than focus of agriculture?)

• Where do we build in consumer behaviour (are we seeking change of food cultures and / or food system)

• People as well as planet and profit – international food trade and wellbeing

• Public and private standards and the role of Corporate Social Responsibility

Risk

• Traditional / conventional risks and new / novel risks in food system

• Institutional behaviour – even to point where actions are regulating capital (risks to capital?) due to size and flows of food system - e.g .balance and use of private standards in regulation

• Who pays?

Food security

• Household to national levels and concerns (poverty, trade and environmental)

• Connects income, access and health outcomes • But has become target group orientated

(children) and / or issue dominated (obesity)• Food environment? Role of planning – can we

link up food environments• Role of land use and securing minimum amount

of food domestic supply?

Questions and Issues (i)

• Clear no coherent policy – should there be one? If we take role of private standards and industry is one necessary and is the role of the state limited?

• UK may not be the appropriate level – devolved responsibilities for example – if not what is?

• Should we just be aiming for better coordination without an overarching strategy? Local government and local institutions have been doing this what can we learn and what next for local level action?

Questions and Issues (ii)

• How can we move forward without replicating or inheriting current problems and contradictions?

• Does any future policy have to incorporate entire food system? How do policy makers incorporate food citizens decisions?