Suchergebnisse

Repeated food crises have resulted in increased recognition of the boundary-spanning nature of governing food systems and in consequent calls for more holistic food governance. An increasing number of governments have followed up on this recognition by initiating or discussing the development of better integrated food policy. However, in spite of the emergence of integrated food policy as a policy paradigm worth pursuing, considerable challenges remain regarding its concrete realization. Drawing upon recent insights from the public policy literature, this policy letter sets out five particularly demanding areas of concern: (i) constructing a resonating policy frame, (ii) formulating policy goals, (iii) involving relevant sectors and levels, (iv) the question of what constitutes optimal policy integration, and (v) designing a consistent mix of policy instruments. Formulating answers to these challenges will enable policymakers and stakeholders to envision the next steps in concretizing integrated food policy.

The transition towards a sustainable and circular bioeconomy (CBE) is debated in European Union (EU) policy-making, at least since the first official Bioeconomy Strategy 2012 and during its update in 2018. Actors in different discourse coalitions utter conflicting narratives to (de-)legitimize both visions of why and what form of EU CBE is desirable as well as pathways to achieve these visions. Currently, CBE controversies on the EU level seem to be very polarized: Industry organizations and the core group of European Commission (COM) units involved in the further development of the Bioeconomy Strategy promote new technologies to increase the circular use of bio-resources, whereas environmental NGOs and parts of the COM point out adverse sustainability effects of increasing the use of bio-resources.