University of Hertfordshire

Responsibility for food policy within English government involves 16 different departments. In the first study of its kind, Dr Kelly Parsons identifies each department, locating where government food policy is shaped and conducted in England. It clearly demonstrates the complexity of governance influencing the food system and what we eat.

Produced as the first instalment of the ‘Rethinking Food Governance’ series, the report reveals many factors, such as size, structure, goals, responsibilities, key activities, relationships to Local Authorities and devolved administrations for each government actor. Revealing this information helps all actors in the food system to interact, or spot opportunities and levers for policy change.