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Sustainability of Food and Nutrition Security Policy during Presidential Transitions
Author(s) -
Escobar Alegria Jessica,
Frongillo Edward,
Blake Christine,
Walker Lee,
McDermott Gerald
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.384.5
Subject(s) - sustainability , snowball sampling , presidential system , theoretical sampling , food security , grounded theory , business , action (physics) , politics , public relations , political science , public economics , economics , qualitative research , sociology , law , medicine , ecology , social science , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics , biology , agriculture
Developing countries with democratic governments periodically experience presidential transitions that affect political and institutional performance. Sustainability is particularly important for food and nutrition security policies (FNSP) that require uninterrupted implementation, commitment, funding, collaboration, and capacity development. We aimed to understand what explains the sustainability of FNSP in a country that experiences presidential transitions every 4 years. A constructivist grounded‐theory approach with a retrospective and sequential explanatory design was used for a case study. Snowball sampling and interview requests were used to recruit 52 policy actors from all relevant sectors and levels, elected or appointed. Semi‐structured interviews data were triangulated using news, speeches, and policy documents. Data were analyzed using constant comparative method with open and axial coding. We identified 24 forces that simultaneously shape a dynamic process determining sustainability during transitions. These forces are molded by conditions for sustaining and for not sustaining actions. The forces favor or impede the sustainability of an action or part of it, and operate at all levels and sectors but affect actions differently in these. The forces do not compete, but combinations of them bring about expected outcomes. The potential of forces to shape sustainability depends on interacting actors responding to emerging events within specific contexts. Informed actors who strategically seek to sustain through transitions actions that work are more likely to reach long‐term goals of FSNP.