Trans-Governance and Food Systems (Tr-GaF) for food policy integration: A case study of the Australian food policy landscape

Abstract

Food policy integration is critical for sustainability as urban food policies become a new norm in the policy agenda. Yet, little research demonstrates how food policies are integrated with food systems and across governance to achieve urban sustainability. This paper presents the Trans-Governance and Food Systems (Tr-GaF) framework for food policy integration developed to evaluate the Australian food policy landscape. The analysis of 102 food-relevant policy documents sourced from multiple government institutions in Queensland, Western Australia, and Victoria identifies limited food policy integration in Australia, with little attention paid to food-related urban planning. Policy misalignments arise in the agrifood economy, health and well-being, and environment and ecology domains, with horizontal and vertical fragmentation across governance levels and sectors. Inadequate integration with food systems further jeopardises the efficiency of urban food supply chains and consumption activities. These three prominent issues collectively stifle urban sustainability by economically restraining food supply chain actors’ ability to innovate and compete. While environmental imbalance worsens, urbanites inevitably face barriers to maintaining health and social well-being. Tr-GaF provides an evidenced-based framework for policymakers to evaluate and integrate food policies anchored in food systems governed by collaborative multi-scalar government agencies, institutions, food industries, and civil society. In doing so, urban development can sustainably evolve economically, socially, and environmentally.