Resilience as Crisis Response? Charting Ideational Dynamics and Discursive Change in EU Nutrient Policy

The resilience of agri-food systems in the European Union (EU) has emerged as a pivotal concern in policy debates due to escalating shocks and stresses. This paper critically examines the focus on strengthening EU agri-food system resilience. Central to this issue are nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, crucial for safe and stable fertilizer supply for agri-food production. In line with the European Green Deal, which includes the New Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork Strategy, as well as the Common Agricultural Policy 2022-2027, EU agri-food policy is in-creasingly emphasizing the reduction of nutrient losses, the promotion of sustainable nutrient use, and the fostering of markets for recovered nutrients. While this policy shift reflects an increasing agreement on the significance of policies that enhance resilience, it fortifies a specific policy approach, which in turn sparks discursive contestation in the realm of agri-food policy. The emphasis on resilience not only bolsters traditional policies aimed at income support but also encourages visions of circular and high-tech agriculture. These visions are based on the narratives of achieving economic, environmental, and social sustainability by closing the nutrient-food loop through technological advancements in the recovery and recycling of nutrients. However, orienting policies towards resilience as a response to crises also leads to new policy debates. These debates involve a clash of ideas among policy actors concerning how to resolve crises, their strategies for communication, and the prioritization of different solutions. The paper applies the theoretical lens of discursive institutionalism to investigate how the EU’s nutrient policy aligns with the goal of strengthening agri-food system resilience. It delves into the interplay among key policy actors, their ideas, and their discursive communication over time, utilizing qualitative document analysis to trace the evolution of the EU’s nutrient policy discourse through important policy documents. The analysis aims to deepen the analytical understanding of the discursive interactions underpinning policy development, resilience orientation, and the promotion of technological solutions for nutrient recycling. The analysis uncovers a dichotomy: on one hand, there is a discernible trend towards policies that enhance resilience by aiming to close the nutrient-food loop in the EU’s agri-food system. On the other hand, a technocratic narrative is emerging, bolstered by a belief in the political feasibility of managing increasing shocks and stresses. This trend leads to a discourse specialization, resulting in closure with predominantly expert involvement, raising the risk of depoliticizing the policy domain. Consequently, there arises a need to balance technological approaches with broader political and social considerations in shaping the future of EU nutrient policy.