Understanding the role of partnerships in the food policy landscape and implications for food system governance

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The aim of this study is to further understanding of the nature of food system governance in the UK and the implications for food system transformation through an examination of the significance of 'partnerships' as a food systems governance mechanism in the UK. This study will draw on political science theories of power and governance to examine the role of 'partnerships' as a governance mechanism in the UK food system, with a particular focus on private sector involvement.MethodologyThis project comprises 2 stages:First, a typology of partnerships will be developed to understand and identify the characteristics of partnerships currently operating in UK food policy space, including how the roles and expectationsare defined by different actors. This will be developed through a combination of desk-based research and interviews with stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors. Second, a case study will be conducted to identify how partnerships function in a particular policy or commodity context. Case studies enable the in-depth exploration of complex phenomenon "within its real-world context" (Yin 2018; Flyvbjerg 2006). In this case, to identify how partnerships operate in the UK food policy landscape. For this purpose, it may become appropriate to select 2 case studies, for instance:1.the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships on the development of private- and public policies regarding plastic pollution2.a study of how partnerships are operationalised in the emerging seaweed industry.The precise target will be identified in the process of phase 1. This will be mixed methods/multi-component inquiry involving a social network analysis and stakeholder interviews. Precedence for this approach comes from the study of urban food policy development (Brons, Oosterveer & Wertheim-Heck 2022). Social network analysis is the study of patterns of connections between individuals or institutions that enables an analysis of important aspects of social organisation around a topic or event, such as identifying central actors within a network (Ward, Stovel & Sacks 2011).Given the recent expression of intent towards partnerships by DEFRA (2022) to adopt a partnerships approach to deliver the food strategy, this study is timely and of national relevance. The results will enable the identification of policy implications and recommendations.