This research examines the tension between the ambitions set out in the Bradford Food Strategy and the practical constraints that hinder its implementation. In the absence of a coherent national food policy in the UK, local authorities and partnerships have increasingly sought to address food system challenges through locally developed food strategies. While some scholars present these initiatives as effective mechanisms for change, others are sceptical of their ability to influence complex food systems. This research contributes to this debate by providing empirical insight into the realities of food strategy implementation within a local authority context.
Although considerable attention has been paid to what local food strategies should contain, less research has explored why implementation often falls short of strategic ambitions. This study addresses that gap through an in depth case study of Bradford Council, generating nuanced understandings of the organisational and political barriers that shape implementation processes.
The research draws on qualitative interviews with nineteen elite, hard to reach participants who were either embedded within or closely connected to Bradford Council. A distinctive feature of the study is the researcher’s dual role as both practitioner and researcher, enabling access to participants. Findings reveal that, despite being framed as a cross cutting strategy, the Bradford Food Strategy is largely owned by the Public Health Department and lacks wider organisational support. Furthermore, severe financial pressures limit the capacity of officers to engage in strategic work.
The study concludes that the Strategy is misaligned with the underlying drivers of food system challenges. Without stronger national policy mechanisms capable of shaping private sector behaviour, local food strategies alone are unlikely to achieve transformational change. The research provides recommendations for practitioners and identifies future research opportunities in supporting local and regional food system governance, implementation, and resource allocation.
