The role of school food in the UK’s political economy: An exploration via the experiences of people working in school food provisioning

School Food Provisioning (SFP) is a highly politicised topic, frequently championed as a solution to address the prevalence of child food insecurity, food-related illnesses, and the environmental impacts of agri-food systems. Yet, in the UK, SFP is characterised by a privatised catering industry providing low quality, cheap food, with minimum labour inputs following 40 years of neoliberal governance (Morgan 2025). Whilst recent programmes and policies seek to encourage Whole School Approaches to food, looking to implement a consistent food culture around healthy and nutritious food (Bryant et al 2023) – the focus remains on the children and the food consumed. Less is known of the wider school food sector, the values and social relations between different actors and organisations, and the everyday experiences of people working in school food. The research poster presents a multimethod study exploring the policies, practices and everyday experiences of people working in SFP in London primary schools. The research is grounded in feminist social reproduction and ethics of care to unpack the nuanced experiences, relations, and practices SFP consists of, whilst understanding their necessity in sustaining capitalist production systems. Preliminary findings from a critical literature review and ethnographic research will be shared. Whilst the stories and experiences of people working in SFP are not at the forefront of political and public debates, understanding such experiences reveals the undervalued care labour SFP relies on, and offers the potential to reimagine the value of care within our food systems.