Towards transformative policy mixes for healthy, sustainable diets in a multi-level governance context

Abstract

Transitioning towards healthier, more sustainable food environments is critical to mitigate diet-related chronic diseases and environmental harm. Coordinated governmental action supporting this transition is often hindered by fragmented competences across policy fields and governance levels. Different strands of literature address this issue from within their respective disciplines, with some excelling in their empirical approach, others being more firmly grounded in theory, and still others emphasizing the legal-institutional dimension. This study aimed to strengthen the identification and assessment of policy mixes governing food environments by layering these disciplinary approaches. More precisely, it combined the Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) from public health literature with the six policy intervention points framework (6PIP) from sustainability transitions literature, supported by constitutional law analysis. Illustrated by the case of federal Belgium, the study mapped 200 policy instruments and 31 strategies across 8 jurisdictions, followed by an assessment of policy intensity by a panel of 51 experts. Instrument types and intervention points (IPs) were subsequently characterized, with balance across these serving as a measure of policy mix comprehensiveness. The results showed hotspots of policy activity in public procurement and norm management, while gaps existed in zoning laws and advertising regulations. These patterns parallel a strong focus on niche stimulation and acceleration, contrasted with limited regime-destabilizing measures. The 6PIP lens further highlights the absence of measures addressing socio-economic repercussions of destabilization—a precursor of destabilization measures and an important blind spot not captured by the Food-EPI lens alone. Together, these findings reflect a broader governance paradigm observed across other EU member states. The integrated layered approach elaborated here is meaningful for future applications, particularly when embedded in a stronger contextualization of these prevailing governance modes, actor constellations and corresponding transition dynamics.