Andrew Flynn

Regulating the New Rural Spaces: the Uneven Development of Land

With the demise of agricultural productivism, that set of economic and political arrangements which made food production the overriding aim of rural policy, new forms of regulation have come into existence. These are linked to new patterns of development in rural areas which have arisen as economic actors seek to exploit the opportunities presented by the crisis in agriculture. Both development and its regulation have become localised — that is, detached from the national regime associated with productivism. This is leading to increased differentiation. We examine three land development sectors — minerals, farm building conversion and golf — to illustrate how the processes of differentiation are driven by a variety of economic, political and social actors. These are assessed using the notion of ‘arenas of representation’. Two arenas are identified — those of the market and regulation — showing how uneven development of the countryside can be understood as arising from action-in-context. Such differentiation, or the emergence of new rural spaces, is inevitable in the post-productivist era.

Company size, environmental regulation and ecological modernization: further analysis at the level of the firm

In the paper published in Business Strategy and the Environment (7, (3)) entitled ‘Sector variation and ecological modernization: towards an analysis at the level of the firm’, the authors situated their analysis of firms within the framework of ecological modernization. They indicated the part which sector variability plays in firms positioning themselves towards environmental issues. In this paper, the authors extend their analysis to consider the effects that environmental regulation and company size have on the levels of environmental motivation demonstrated by companies and what this reveals about the prospects for a move towards ecological modernization.

Assessing the Environmental Consequences of Major Sporting Events: The 2003/04 FA Cup Final

Policy-makers are increasingly interested in the wider ramifications of sporting events, including the environmental impacts of event visitation. This paper demonstrates how two separate though related methodologies were used to inform conclusions on the economic and environmental impacts related to event visitation. The approaches used to assess the case event were environmental input-output tables and ecological footprint analysis. Combining these tools provided valuable insights into a series of economic and environmental impacts, together with an appreciation of the global significance of average visitor consumption patterns associated with a high profile event, the 2004 Football Association (FA) Cup Final. The paper demonstrates how these tools can be used to provide valuable intelligence for policy-makers.

Measuring the environmental sustainability of a major sporting event: a case study of the FA Cup Final.

Policymakers are increasingly interested in the wider consequences of major sporting events, including their environmental impacts. Indeed, London 2012 included as part of its winning Olympic bid a commitment to measure and take steps to minimize the environmental impacts of the forthcoming Games. This paper demonstrates how the ‘Ecological Footprint’ has been used to measure the environmental sustainability of the UKs Football Association (FA) Cup Final. This approach provides valuable insights into the global environmental impacts generated by visitor consumption patterns. The paper also demonstrates how this tool can support policymakers and event organizers in staging sustainable events through the development and assessment of policy scenarios.

Engaging with the Ecological Footprint as a Decision-Making Tool: Process and Responses

Abstract Since the initial development of the Ecological Footprint in the early 1990s, the concept has gained increased interest amongst academics and practitioners internationally. In the UK, it is estimated that some 60 to 70 Ecological Footprint studies were undertaken between 1999 and 2004. Although the majority of interest in Ecological Footprinting has come from local government, a recent study has found that government officers involved in the formulation of council policy have not been able to engage with the Ecological Footprint as a process or use the results to inform policy decisions. This paper analyses how an Ecological Footprint has been developed for Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The approach used to construct an Ecological Footprint for Cardiff has been significantly different to that which had been used previously in the UK, as it has involved a unique consortium of researchers at Cardiff University and policy development officers at Cardiff Council checking the quality of data used in the Footprint calculation, and developing a range of policy scenarios.

Sector variation and ecological modernization: towards an analysis at the level of the firm

This paper is the first of a series of two in which the authors consider ecological modernization of state environmental policy in the context of individual firms. This is explored through three themes: the influences of industrial sector, company size and type of environmental regulation. In this paper, the significance of industry sector is explored and the authors show how lead and laggard sectors react in quite different ways. In the second paper (Vol. 7 No. 5), the theme of variability to the challenge of ecological modernization through the study of the impact of firm size and response to regulation is pursued. Throughout, the authors emphasize the need to understand the context in which firms operate and perceive their environment if we are to make progress in our knowledge and refine appropriate policies, tools and mechanisms to help steer industry on a more sustainable path.

Food regulation in a period of agricultural retreat: the British experience

Abstract This paper examines the changing nature of food regulation in Britain, emphasising the need for national based analyses within an international context. Outlining the position of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in food and farm regulation, we assess the recent food hygiene crises and the nature of the states response. This suggests the emergence of new corporatist patterns of regulation reflecting the ascendant economic and political power of the post-farm parts of the food system.

Innovation and sustainability in the food system: A case of chicken production and consumption in the UK

Abstract This paper investigates the nature of and drivers for innovations in the food system. It analyses how these drivers will operate at different stages of the food supply chain from production to retail. The paper discusses how sustainability of the food system could be measured and proposes a set of sustainability indicators. The paper adopts a supply chain approach to the investigation of interactions between innovation and sustainability in the food system and is based upon a case study of the chicken supply chain in the UK, one of the most significant food categories in terms of its production and consumption.

Regulating food risks: rebuilding confidence in Europe's food?

How can contemporary governments and regulation respond effectively to the growth of food risks at the same time as encouraging the further economic development of the European internal market? Taking the case of European food regulation during the ‘post-BSE’ period, this paper explores the changing dynamics of food regulation and accountability, and the interplay of influences that are shaping the new regulatory terrain. In examining three critical dimensions of change: (1) the maturing Europeanisation of UK policy; (2) the consumerisation and new institutionalisation of food policy and the wider participation of interest groups; and (3) the development of a more complex private-interest model of food regulation; the paper outlines a new conceptual model of contested regulation which incorporates the state, corporate and noncorporate private interests, consumers, and a variety of other social interests.

Environmental Politics and Policy in the 1980s

The active political forces shaping environmental policy in Britain since the late 1970s include: Conservative policy, the European Community, and the environmental movement.