School of Social and Political Science

Description

Public Food Procurement policy has been identified as having significant potential to drive food consumption and production towards greater sustainability, delivering social, economic, environmental and health benefits to multiple beneficiaries. But empirical research reveals that the potential of Sustainable Public Food Procurement (SPFP) is not currently being realised, with studies from a range of different countries identifying stubborn barriers. Situating SPFP within the complex multi-instrument setting of the broader policy system, and utilising the concepts of policy instrument interactions, mixes and packages can help to explain, articulate and provide pathways to address barriers identified in empirical studies on SPFP . A desk survey of SPFP in different countries identified the range of instruments which interact with SPFP . The findings detail SPFP instruments interacting with many other policy instruments, resulting in both positive reinforcing, and negative undermining effects. Taken as a whole, these interactions suggest a ‘policy package’ of instruments which should be considered in SPFP policy design, to maximise effectiveness and capitalise on its transformative potential. Zooming out beyond SPFP, the policy mix lens offers a route to implementing a more connected, integrated, 'food systems approach' to food policymaking.