Control of Diffuse Agricultural Pollution and Management of Trans-boundary Waterways : A comparative analysis of the policy making process in Ireland and Northern Ireland

Ph. D. ThesisRegulating diffuse agricultural pollution in the island of Ireland’s trans-border waterway catchments is a ‘wicked problem’. Alongside the need to mitigate agriculture-related water pollution are parallel and competing needs to support a socially and economically important agri-food industry and deliver public ‘goods’ under a paradigm of multifunctionality. Meeting all these objectives simultaneously is not possible. Thus, finding balance between various competing policy objectives is an important policy goal. Beyond this, co-managing trans-boundary waterways is a significant challenge for policymakers, not least because ecosystem boundaries typically do not align with administrative ones. The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union is set to exacerbate this challenge by vastly increasing administrative complexity on the island. This research contributes to academic literature on wicked policy problems by helping to improve understanding of the complex social factors that underpin and influence the agri-environmental policymaking process on the island of Ireland, particularly as it relates to the wicked problem of diffuse agricultural water pollution in trans-border catchments. Employing qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups) within a case study methodology, it draws on theories of agricultural post-exceptionalism, policy network analysis and leverage points to describe governance structures and their influence on agri-environmental policymaking. It also presents a modified power framework based on Lukes’ (1974) ‘three faces’ model that describes how actors within the agri-food sector obtain and employ power within the agri-environmental policymaking arena. This thesis argues that the structure of, and power distributions within, agri-environmental policymaking networks on the island of Ireland have significant implications for policy outcomes. It also demonstrates how actors within these networks capitalise on gaps left by multiple competing policy channels and complex administrative environments to advance their interests. It finds that in Ireland and Northern Ireland, the agri-food sector continues to be treated as exceptional, and agri-food actors remain central within policymaking networks as a result. This means that agri-environmental policy continues to favour agri-food interests, often to the detriment of the island’s waterways. It also finds that power distributions within the agri-food sector impact water quality. Some agri-food sectors (e.g., dairy, poultry) hold more power than others meaning they can resist important regulation such as water pollution initiatives, rendering such regulation ineffective. Meanwhile, other sectors (e.g., beef and sheep) are left out of the conversation, which compromises potential policy solutions. It argues that for future policies to adequately address the challenge of agriculture‐related water pollution, agri-food system governance must become more equitable and nuanced, allowing for tangible consideration of the challenges that different agriculture sectors face. It also argues that if diffuse agricultural pollution is to be fundamentally addressed, change is required in both the institutional structures that support the current policymaking apparatus, and in the productivist, export-focused logic currently underpinning the Irish agri-food industry.Teagasc Walsh Scholar Programme, Newcastle University, Enviresearch Foundatio

Agricultural Pollution and Waterways on the Island of Ireland: Towards Effective Policy Solutions

In the UK, Ireland and Europe generally, much attention has been devoted to understanding how the agri-food sector has leveraged disproportionate focus and support through its influence in the policymaking area. What has received less focus is how power is distributed within the agriculture sector, i.e., why/how some agricultural industries are more ‘successful’ or receive more focus than others, and what this means for policy. Researchers typically treat ‘farmers’ as a monolith, for example, focusing on the power of the ‘farming lobby’ versus that of other interest groups such as environmentalists. This tells us only part of the picture; power distributions within the agriculture industry itself also have implications for policy. Using empirical qualitative research (interviews, focus groups) conducted on the island of Ireland, this paper shows how some agri-food sectors (e.g., dairy) hold more power than others meaning they can resist important regulation such as water pollution initiatives. This renders such regulation ineffective. Meanwhile, other sectors (e.g., beef and sheep) are left out of the conversation, which compromises potential policy solutions. It argues that for future policies to adequately address the challenge of agriculture-related environmental degradation and support the resilience of the ecosystems upon which food production depends, agri-food system governance must become more equitable and nuanced, allowing for tangible consideration of the challenges that different agriculture sectors face

Impact of labour shortages on UK food availability and safety

This research used a food systems approach to examine the impact of labour supply shortages on key aspects of the food system. It provides insight into the consequences of labour shortages as reported in 2021, the complex processes that combined to create the shortages and the resultant impact on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) ability to effectively do its job. The research also explored consumers’ perceptions of food availability and food safety

Associations between socioeconomic, parental and home environment factors and fruit and vegetable consumption of children in grades five and six in British Columbia, Canada

Background: Regular fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption has been associated with reduced chronic disease risk. Evidence from adults shows a social gradient in FV consumption. Evidence from pre-adolescent children varies and there is little Canadian data. This study assessed the FV intake of school children in British Columbia (BC), Canada to determine whether socio-economic status (SES), parental and the home environment factors were related to FV consumption. Methods As part of the BC School Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Program, 773 British Columbia fifth-and sixth-grade school children (Mean age 11.3 years; range 10.3-12.5) and their parents were surveyed to determine FV consumption and overall dietary intake. Students completed a web-based 24-hour dietary food recall, and a student measure of socio-economic status (The Family Affluence Scale). Parents completed a self-administered survey about their education, income, home environment and perceptions of their neighbourhood and children’s eating habits. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association between SES, parental and home environment factors and FV consumption. Results Approximately 85.8% of children in this study failed to meet minimum Canadian guidelines for FV intake (6 servings). Parent income and education were not significantly associated with child FV consumption but were associated with each other, child-reported family affluence, neighbourhood environment, access to FV, and eating at the table or in front of the television. Significant positive associations were found between FV consumption and child-reported family affluence, meal-time habits, neighbourhood environment and parent perceptions of the healthiness of their child’s diet; however, these correlations were weak (ranging from .089-.115). Multiple regression analysis showed that only child-reported family affluence significantly predicted FV consumption (std-β = 0.096 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.27). Conclusions The majority of children in our study were not meeting guidelines for FV intake irrespective of SES, parent perceptions or home environment, making this a population wide concern. An almost trivial socio-economic gradient was observed for the child-reported SES measure only. These results are consistent with several other studies of children. Longitudinal research is needed to further explore individual and social factors associated with FV consumption in childhood and their development over time.Land and Food Systems, Faculty ofNon UBCReviewedFacult