How states protected food security during the pandemic: Comparative study between Japan and the UK

Abstract

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the international community has been confronted with multilayered and profound risks, including climate change, population growth, geopolitical conflicts, and public health crises exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges have exposed the vulnerabilities of food supply chains and compelled governments to devise new policy responses to ensure food security.
This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Japan and the United Kingdom—two advanced economies that nonetheless differ markedly in their levels of food self-sufficiency and dependence on trade—focusing on the policymaking processes of food security across two temporal dimensions: normal times and the pandemic period. At the core of the inquiry are the questions: Who are the most influential actors in policymaking? And how do these dynamics shift in times of emergency, such as a pandemic? Drawing on theoretical frameworks from comparative public policy, including institutionalism, cultural institutionalism, pluralism, and elitism, the study employs qualitative
analysis of parliamentary records and policy documents to compare the behavioural patterns and coordination mechanisms of actors such as bureaucrats, politicians, industry associations, and civil society.
The findings demonstrate that, in both countries, crises accelerate interactions among actors based onexisting institutions and practices, thereby reconstructing policy effectiveness and the speed of decision-making. At the same time, notable differences were observed: in Japan, the coordinating capacity of the bureaucracy and the strength of centralised governance became more prominent, whereas in the United Kingdom, while exhibiting tendencies toward centralisation, comparatively greater emphasis was also placed on collaboration with opposition politicians and industry associations, revealing differences in actor configuration and the influence of cultural factors.
These results indicate that realising a resilient and inclusive food security system requires an understanding of both the commonalities of institutional foundations and the divergences shaped by cultural contexts. By doing so, this study contributes to the further advancement of both practical and theoretical research in comparative public policy and food security policy.

Date of Award	20 May 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Maria Garcia (Supervisor) & Yixian Sun (Supervisor)