Food industry influence in collaborative governance: The case of the Dutch prevention agreement on overweight

Food policies to foster a healthy lifestyle are to an increasing extent developed through processes of collaborative governance in which public and private stakeholders negotiate voluntary agreements (VAs). The effectiveness of these VAs has been questioned repeatedly, because of the involvement of the food industry in drawing up these agreements.In this article I further develop insights into food industry influence in collaborative governance through an in-depth analysis of negotiations on the Dutch prevention agreement on overweight which was concluded in 2018. Using documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request I show how the food industry succeeded in shifting the regulatory arena towards a collaborative governance set up that allowed them to co-design and propose appropriate measures. Secondly, in this arena the industry managed to weaken and modify most of the measures for which it would be responsible. Finally, the industry used backstage lobbying outside of the official arena to block a plan to introduce a sugar levy.The case study confirms the weakness of voluntary agreements as an alternative to public regulation. This weakness results from the food industry's ability to capture collaborative governance processes and combine these with behind the scenes lobbying tactics. Policy-makers should therefore seriously reconsider the use of VAs for public health policies and governments should empower themselves to make a better use of public regulation both at national and EU level.

Automated summary

Food policies aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle are increasingly being developed through collaborative governance involving public and private stakeholders in negotiating voluntary agreements. However, the effectiveness of these agreements has been questioned due to the influence of the food industry in shaping them. Through a case study of the Dutch prevention agreement on overweight, this article highlights how the food industry was able to sway the regulatory arena towards collaborative governance, allowing them to co-design and modify measures according to their interests. The study concludes that voluntary agreements are weak as an alternative to public regulation, calling for policymakers to reconsider their use and for governments to strengthen their use of public regulation both nationally and at the EU level.