Understanding food insecurity in England: a systems-based approach
Understanding food insecurity in England: a systems-based approach
Food insecurity is a significant public health issue in England. National and local policies have not been able to adequately address its complex drivers, in part due to unintended consequences that arise from the way these policies interact with the system. Through an integrative review and group model building workshops with 17 subject matter experts, we developed four causal loop diagrams (CLDs) to map the interactions between food insecurity drivers and major policies such as Universal Credit, Healthy Start, and School Meal programs. The CLDs reveal that while these policies and interventions are intended to reduce food insecurity, specific implementation issues can unintentionally perpetuate food insecurity. These unintended consequences result in a shift in responsibility between governments and communities, with a subsequent erosion of public trust in governments and policies. This study highlights the need for redistributing responsibility back to governments, rebuilding trust and mitigating unintended consequences of current policies. By addressing the feedback mechanisms driving food insecurity, this research provides actionable insights and policy recommendations for creating equitable and effective policies.
England, Systems-thinking, causal loop diagram, food insecurity, group model building, policy
Smith, Dianna
e859097c-f9f5-4fd0-8b07-59218648e726
Et, Al
2c5e03a5-214d-4086-a5de-058e9c2156ee
26 June 2025
Smith, Dianna
e859097c-f9f5-4fd0-8b07-59218648e726
Et, Al
2c5e03a5-214d-4086-a5de-058e9c2156ee
Abstract
Food insecurity is a significant public health issue in England. National and local policies have not been able to adequately address its complex drivers, in part due to unintended consequences that arise from the way these policies interact with the system. Through an integrative review and group model building workshops with 17 subject matter experts, we developed four causal loop diagrams (CLDs) to map the interactions between food insecurity drivers and major policies such as Universal Credit, Healthy Start, and School Meal programs. The CLDs reveal that while these policies and interventions are intended to reduce food insecurity, specific implementation issues can unintentionally perpetuate food insecurity. These unintended consequences result in a shift in responsibility between governments and communities, with a subsequent erosion of public trust in governments and policies. This study highlights the need for redistributing responsibility back to governments, rebuilding trust and mitigating unintended consequences of current policies. By addressing the feedback mechanisms driving food insecurity, this research provides actionable insights and policy recommendations for creating equitable and effective policies.
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Understanding food insecurity in England a systems-based approach
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Accepted/In Press date: 12 June 2025
Published date: 26 June 2025
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© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords:
England, Systems-thinking, causal loop diagram, food insecurity, group model building, policy
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Local EPrints ID: 503642
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503642
ISSN: 2574-1292
PURE UUID: f57c09e4-aa44-4bdb-8893-7d1ef7acde5c
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Date deposited: 07 Aug 2025 16:49
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:13
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Author:
Al Et
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