The Food Standards Agency: making a difference?

The governance of food in Britain has been in a state of flux in recent years. For over a decade, from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s, the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) found itself mired in a series of food controversies. Eventually, partly overwhelmed by its inability to reassure consumers or the food industry on the safety of food in Britain the Ministry was replaced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). In this paper, we briefly review the background to the formation of the FSA and its formal role. We then describe how the creation of the FSA has changed the interrelationships between organisations and how these patterns have shifted the nature of food governance in Britain. To analyse the changing nature of food governance two models are outlined; one coercive and the other partnership based. An assessment of the extent to which the FSA works with one or other of these models is then made by exploring how key FSAs activities, especially its approach to enforcement, are shaping its relationships with other organisations and its policy outcomes. The paper draws heavily on material made available by the FSA through its website and a set of key person interviews with those with an interest along the whole food supply chain

The battle for the consumers: building relationships in a new phase of contested accountability in the UK food chain

This paper presents a brief history of the changing food policy governance in the UK and highlights the gradual Europeanisation and Consumerisation of UK food policies. The paper discusses the complexities of the private interest model of food regulation and the role played by retailers in the food sector in trying to influence consumers. The impact of the establishment of the Food Standards Agency on the context and implementation of food regulation in the UK also forms the theme of discussion in this communiqué. The paper identifies five significant recent developments by way of which the State, corporate and private interests, consumers and social interest groups build relationships in response to the need for accountability within the UK agri-food chain, symbolising the development of a complex public/private set of associations, that is evolving as a result of the private, institutional and consumer pressures on food regulation

The Food Standards Agency: making a difference?

The governance of food in Britain has been in a state of flux in recent years. For over a decade, from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s, the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) found itself mired in a series of food controversies. Eventually, partly overwhelmed by its inability to reassure consumers or the food industry on the safety of food in Britain the Ministry was replaced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). In this paper, we briefly review the background to the formation of the FSA and its formal role. We then describe how the creation of the FSA has changed the interrelationships between organisations and how these patterns have shifted the nature of food governance in Britain. To analyse the changing nature of food governance two models are outlined; one coercive and the other partnership based. An assessment of the extent to which the FSA works with one or other of these models is then made by exploring how key FSAs activities, especially its approach to enforcement, are shaping its relationships with other organisations and its policy outcomes. The paper draws heavily on material made available by the FSA through its website and a set of key person interviews with those with an interest along the whole food supply chain

New ozone-nitrogen model shows early senescence onset is the primary cause of ozone-induced reduction in grain quality of wheat

Ozone (O3) air pollution is well known to adversely affect both the grain and protein yield of wheat, an important staple crop. This study aims to identify and model the key plant processes influencing the effect of O3 on wheat protein. We modified the DO3SE-Crop model to incorporate nitrogen (N) processes, and parameterised the O3 effect on stem, leaf and grain N using O3 fumigation datasets spanning 3 years and 4 O3 treatments. Our results show the new model captures the O3 effect on grain N concentrations, and anthesis leaf and stem concentration, well. However, the O3 effect on harvest leaf and stem N is exaggerated. Further, a sensitivity analysis revealed that, irrespective of O3 treatment, accelerated senescence onset was the primary plant process affecting grain N. This modelling study therefore demonstrates the capability of the DO3SE-CropN model to simulate processes by which O3 affects N content, and thereby determines that senescence onset is the main driver of O3 reductions in grain protein yield. The implication of the sensitivity analysis is that breeders should focus their efforts on stay-green cultivars that do not experience a protein penalty when developing O3 tolerant lines, to maintain both wheat yield and nutritional quality under O3 exposure

New ozone-nitrogen model shows early senescence onset is the primary cause of ozone-induced reduction in grain quality of wheat

Ozone (O3) air pollution is well known to adversely affect both the grain and protein yield of wheat, an important staple crop. This study aims to identify and model the key plant processes influencing the effect of O3 on wheat protein. We modified the DO3SE-Crop model to incorporate nitrogen (N) processes, and parameterised the O3 effect on stem, leaf and grain N using O3 fumigation datasets spanning 3 years and 4 O3 treatments. Our results show the new model captures the O3 effect on grain N concentrations, and anthesis leaf and stem concentration, well. However, the O3 effect on harvest leaf and stem N is exaggerated. Further, a sensitivity analysis revealed that, irrespective of O3 treatment, accelerated senescence onset was the primary plant process affecting grain N. This modelling study therefore demonstrates the capability of the DO3SE-CropN model to simulate processes by which O3 affects N content, and thereby determines that senescence onset is the main driver of O3 reductions in grain protein yield. The implication of the sensitivity analysis is that breeders should focus their efforts on stay-green cultivars that do not experience a protein penalty when developing O3 tolerant lines, to maintain both wheat yield and nutritional quality under O3 exposure

Loving the mess: navigating diversity and conflict in social values for sustainability

This paper concludes a special feature of Sustainability Science that explores a broad range of social value theoretical traditions, such as religious studies, social psychology, indigenous knowledge, economics, sociology, and philosophy. We introduce a novel transdisciplinary conceptual framework that revolves around concepts of ‘lenses’ and ‘tensions’ to help navigate value diversity. First, we consider the notion of lenses: perspectives on value and valuation along diverse dimensions that describe what values focus on, how their sociality is envisioned, and what epistemic and procedural assumptions are made. We characterise fourteen of such dimensions. This provides a foundation for exploration of seven areas of tension, between: (1) the values of individuals vs collectives; (2) values as discrete and held vs embedded and constructed; (3) value as static or changeable; (4) valuation as descriptive vs normative and transformative; (5) social vs relational values; (6) different rationalities and their relation to value integration; (7) degrees of acknowledgment of the role of power in navigating value conflicts. In doing so, we embrace the ‘mess’ of diversity, yet also provide a framework to organise this mess and support and encourage active transdisciplinary collaboration. We identify key research areas where such collaborations can be harnessed for sustainability transformation. Here it is crucial to understand how certain social value lenses are privileged over others and build capacity in decision-making for understanding and drawing on multiple value, epistemic and procedural lenses.Peer reviewe