A year ago, I began an in-depth exploration of food policy coherence within UK local authorities to better understand how councils navigate the complex web of actors influencing food systems. Today, my findings shed light on the practical realities of achieving policy coherence and highlight both successes and areas for improvement. Here’s a summary of what I learned and the implications for policymakers.
Recap: what we knew already
Policy coherence refers to the alignment and integration of various policies across sectors and levels of government to create a unified approach to achieving policy goals. In the context of food, this means ensuring that policies in areas like public health, economic development, environmental protection and agriculture work together rather than contradict one another. This holistic approach is crucial for addressing complex food system challenges, as it allows for coordinated action and supports the development of resilient, equitable and sustainable food environments.
In the UK, local councils are responsible for a broad range of services with an interest in food, from public health to waste management and planning. Because food policy decisions often span multiple functions, achieving “joined-up” thinking requires purposeful coordination. My initial literature review surfaced some of these functions in isolation, but showed an evidence gap around which local government functions are doing what in food policy and how they work together.
Key findings: complexity and coherence
UK councils face challenges in aligning food-related goals across functions, yet my research shows encouraging levels of coherence within local authorities. Public health, economic development and planning functions often work collaboratively (despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary), as these areas have overlapping stakes in food system outcomes. Many councils have developed effective policies in areas like reducing food waste, tackling obesity and supporting sustainable practices.
However, coherence within a council can be undermined by incoherence between national and local government. A common example is the tension between public health efforts to limit fast-food proliferation and the government’s focus on job creation and economic growth. For a long time, councils rejected plans to open hot food takeaways on the grounds of public health, only to be overruled by the Planning Inspectorate. This kind of misalignment reveals that while coherence is high at local levels, vertical coherence—alignment between local and national policies—often presents challenges.
Effective partnerships as a success factor
An important finding from our research is the power of partnerships. Many councils see substantial benefits from working with community groups, healthcare providers and businesses in local food partnerships. These collaborations, such as those seen in the Sustainable Food Places network, allow councils to pool resources and expertise, often achieving more impact than could be achieved in isolation.
In areas where partnerships were not robust, we observed slower policy progress, particularly in implementing sustainable food practices and fostering healthy eating environments. As a result, councils that excel in food policy coherence are typically those that have invested time in nurturing these community relationships.
Barriers and areas for improvement
Despite many examples of effective food policy, some council functions are still woefully uninterested in food policy matters. Adult social care, children’s services, emergency planning and markets were notably absent in food policy discussions, despite their potential to make a positive impact on local food systems. Councils have an opportunity to align these functions with wider food policy initiatives, potentially increasing policy coherence by integrating food considerations across all service areas. Birmingham City Council, among others, is championing this systems-thinking approach.
Additionally, limited funding and resources remain a persistent challenge. Public health budgets, which are one of the few funding sources that cannot be diverted to adult social care, are increasingly used to fund services like trading standards and environmental health, alongside efforts to tackle obesity, malnutrition and food safety. Our findings underscore calls from dozens of organisations that councils need sustainable, long-term funding support to maintain critical public services like trading standards, environmental health and emergency planning.
Policy recommendations: towards greater coherence
To increase policy coherence and make meaningful progress in food policy, our research suggests three main strategies are needed:
- Strengthening national-local alignment: national government should adopt and promote a national food strategy that local councils can work towards, reducing vertical incoherence. Greater national leadership, especially in England, could support councils in areas like food waste collection and HFSS marketing regulation which are necessary but challenging to implement.
- Expanding partnerships: councils should prioritise building food-focused coalitions with local partners. Where formal partnerships don’t exist, initiatives like Sustainable Food Places provide councils with a tried-and-tested framework to engage communities, businesses and other stakeholders more effectively.
- Dedicated funding and resources: sustainable funding is essential for councils to pursue food policy initiatives that align with both local and national goals. Investing in resources for public health, environmental health and other key functions can help councils implement cohesive food strategies with greater resilience and reach.
A path forward
The findings from my research show that food policy coherence in local government is reasonably strong within councils, but there are high levels of incoherence between councils and between national and local government. With more support, better-aligned national policies and a focus on partnerships, councils can be powerful drivers of change in the UK’s food system.
The research was recently published in the journal Food Policy. You can access the published, abridged version here, or contact Rob for the full report.