scholarly journals Exploring Food Literacy Domains in an Adult Samoan Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3587
Author(s):  
Grace Kammholz ◽  
Dana Craven ◽  
Ramona Boodoosingh ◽  
Safua Akeli Amaama ◽  
Jyothi Abraham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Storage ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Food Literacy

Samoan food systems have undergone a dramatic nutrition transition, with dietary patterns changing concurrently with increased rates of obesity and non-communicable disease. Whilst policy action and environmental interventions play an important role in improving access to and consumption of healthy food, the success of these relies on a greater understanding of individuals’ food knowledge and behaviours. This study aimed to explore these behaviours using the construct of food literacy in an adult Samoan population. A cross-sectional interviewer-administered questionnaire of a convenience sample of 150 adult Samoans (≥20 years) assessed the four domains of food literacy: plan/manage, select, prepare, and eat. Participants generally plan to include healthy food (87%) and budget money for food (87%). The majority know where to find nutrition labels (68%), of which 43% always use them to inform their food choices. Participants were mostly confident with cooking skills, although food storage practices require further investigation. Over 90% agreed or strongly agreed that food impacts health, although understanding of the Pacific Guidelines for Healthy Living was lacking. Understanding the ability of Samoans to plan/manage, select, prepare, and eat food is an important consideration for future interventions aiming to assist this population in navigating the modern-day food system.

scholarly journals Changes in Consumers’ Food Practices during the COVID-19 Lockdown, Implications for Diet Quality and the Food System: A Cross-Continental Comparison

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Blain Murphy ◽  
Tony Benson ◽  
Amanda McCloat ◽  
Elaine Mooney ◽  
Chris Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Food System ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Practices ◽  
The Impact

COVID-19 has led to dramatic societal changes. Differing movement restrictions across countries have affected changes in consumers’ food practices, with a potentially detrimental impact on their health and food systems. To investigate this, this research explored changes in consumers’ food practices during the initial COVID-19 phase and assessed the impact of location on these changes. A sample of 2360 adults from three continents (Island of Ireland (IOI), Great Britain (GB), United States (USA), and New Zealand (NZ)) were recruited for a cross-sectional online survey (May–June 2020). Participants completed questions in relation to their cooking and food practices, diet quality, and COVID-19 food-related practices. Significant changes in consumers’ food practices during the pandemic were seen within and between regions, with fewer cooking practices changes found in the USA. Food practices, which may put added pressure on the food system, such as bulk buying, were seen across all regions. To prevent this, organisational food practices, including planning ahead, should be emphasized. Additionally, while positive cooking-related practices and increases in fruit and vegetable intake were found, an increase in saturated fat intake was also seen. With the additional pressure on individuals’ physical and mental health, the essentiality of maintaining a balanced diet should be promoted.

scholarly journals Associations between Food Policy Councils and Policies That Support Healthy Food Access: A National Survey of Community Policy Supports

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 683
Author(s):  
Samantha J. Lange ◽  
Larissa Calancie ◽  
Stephen J. Onufrak ◽  
Katherine T. Reddy ◽  
Anne Palmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Survey ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Policy Councils ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Healthy Food Access

Food policy councils (FPCs) are one form of community coalition that aims to address challenges to local food systems and enhance availability, accessibility, and affordability of healthy foods for local residents. We used data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living, a nationally representative survey of US municipalities (n = 2029), to examine the prevalence of FPCs and cross-sectional associations between FPCs and four types of supports for healthy food access (approaches to help food stores, practices to support farmers markets, transportation-related supports, and community planning documents). Overall, 7.7% of municipalities reported having a local or regional FPC. FPCs were more commonly reported among larger municipalities with ≥50,000 people (29.2%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 21.6, 36.8) and western region municipalities (13.2%, 95% CI: 9.6, 16.8). After multivariable adjustment, municipalities with FPCs had significantly higher odds of having all four types of supports, compared to those without FPCs (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) range: 2.4–3.4). Among municipalities with FPCs (n = 156), 41% reported having a local government employee or elected official as a member, and 46% had a designated health or public health representative. Although FPCs were uncommon, municipalities that reported having a local or regional FPC were more likely to report having supports for healthy food access for their residents.

scholarly journals Food system sustainability and vulnerability: food acquisition during the military occupation of Kuwait

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 3060-3066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahhad Alajmi ◽  
Shawn M Somerset
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Military Occupation ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Food Acquisition ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractObjectiveTo document food acquisition experiences during Iraqi military occupation in Kuwait.DesignRetrospective cross-sectional study.SettingUrban areas in Kuwait during occupation.SubjectsThose living in Kuwait during the period of occupation, and aged between 15 to 50 years at the time of occupation, recruited by snowball sampling. A total of 390 completed questionnaires (response rate 78 %, 202 female and 188 male) were returned.ResultsDuring the occupation, food became increasingly difficult to acquire. Two food systems emerged: (i) an underground Kuwaiti network linked to foods recovered from local food cooperatives and (ii) a black market supplied by food imported through Iraq or stolen locally. Food shortages led to reductions in meal size and frequency. Some respondents (47·7 %) reported not having sufficient income to purchase food and 22·1 % had to sell capital items to purchase food. There was a significant increase (P<0·01) in home production, with 23·1 % of people growing vegetables and 39·0 % raising animals to supplement food needs. Reduction in food wastage also emerged as a significant self-reported behaviour change. Respondents reported deterioration in the quality and availability of fish, milk, and fruit in particular. Despite a decrease in opportunities for physical activity, most respondents reported that they lost weight during the occupation.ConclusionsAlthough the Kuwaiti population fell by about 90 % and domestic food production increased during the 7-month occupation, the local population continued to rely heavily on imported food to meet population needs. The high prevalence of self-reported weight loss indicates the inadequacies of this food supply. High apparent food security in systems which significantly exceed the ecological carrying capacity of the local environment and rely on mass food importation remains vulnerable.

Convergence of food systems: Kosher, Christian and Halal

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 2313-2327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Tieman ◽  
Faridah Hj Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Food System ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
World Population ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Production Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate if religious food laws can provide answers to current issues with the food systems. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides a discussion of the dietary and food system principles from a Judaism, Christianity and Islamic perspective for the design of a more sustainable and healthy food system. Findings – The commercialisation of the natural resources, industrial food production approach and consumerism is endangering the food security, health and environment. Current industry practices are not sustainable and do not comply with Jewish, Christian and Islamic scriptures. Kosher, Christian and halal food laws share common principles in prohibition of certain animals (like pig), prohibition of blood, role of fasting and animal welfare. As a change in the diet is the solution, there is a key role for the food industry to comply and for religious leaders to radically reduce meat consumption and food waste of its followers. Research limitations/implications – This viewpoint paper shows that religious food laws provide answers to current problems with the industrialised food production approach and consumerism. Practical implications – New food industry directives should convert meat-based to plant-based ingredients and additives; replace porcine by bovine sources; and emphasise on animal welfare to better serve the Jewish, Christian and Muslim consumer. Religious logos (kosher and halal) should incorporate nutrient profiling through a traffic light system to promote healthy food choice. Originality/value – Religious food laws are important for a big part of the world population (Jews, Christians and Muslims), which share many common principles. This study contributes to a better understanding of the commonalities and differences in these religious food laws.

scholarly journals The case for a Canadian national school food program

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Hernandez ◽  
Rachel Engler-Stringer ◽  
Sara Kirk ◽  
Hannah Wittman ◽  
Sasha McNicholl
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Dietary Behaviour ◽  
School Food ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
National School ◽  
Good Nutrition ◽  
System Sustainability

Canada is one of the only member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) without a national school food program. Good nutrition impacts children’s health, wellbeing, and learning; and school food environments offer an important setting to promote health and other food system sustainability behaviours that can last a lifetime. We present an overview of national and international evidence, with a focus on promising practices that support the establishment of a national school food program in Canada. School food programs have been shown to benefit health and dietary behaviour and critical food literacy skills (learning, culture, and social norms) that support local agriculture and promote sustainable food systems. Finally, we make recommendations for key elements that should be included in a national school food program for Canada.

scholarly journals Community food assessments: combining community action and policy for a more just and sustainable food system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Charter
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Sustainable Food System

This paper is concerned with the conception of a solution to food insecurity in Canada. I will begin by reviewing the two dominant approaches to food security, the antipoverty approach and the sustainable food systems approach. I will argue that in order to establish a food secure Canada, community action to increase food access and address concerns about production, distribution and consumption needs to happen in conjunction with policy action that seeks to reduce inequality and to promote a more just and sustainable food system. To examine this premise, I will discuss two Canadian Community Food Assessments, which will provide insight into how the food system is playing out in two communities, and what is being done to create a more balanced food system for local residents. I will also provide a discussion of the assessments' recommendations and how they see change coming about in the food system. What needs to happen in order to create food security in Canada? And with who and where are these changes to take place?

scholarly journals Preserving stories, preserving food:

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammara Soma ◽  
Jayda Wilson ◽  
Molly Mackay ◽  
Yuting Cao
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Economic Problem ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
The Relationship

Worldviews, cultures, spirituality, and history not only influence how societies define “food” and “waste”, they also shape how we consume food and the relationship we have with the broader food system. While food waste has emerged as a global concern and a complex “wicked problem” that impacts stakeholders at all scales of operations, the issue is often framed as an environmental and economic problem, and less so as a social problem. As the food waste literature expands at a rapid pace, there is still a dearth of studies that focus on cultural and intergenerational approaches to food preservation and food waste reduction. This exploratory study emerged from an upper-year research-based course entitled Building Sustainable Food Systems (REM 363- now REM 357) at Simon Fraser University and offers three vignettes through intergenerational and multicultural interviews from Siksika First Nation (Canada), Pakistan and China. Students from the class explored the roles of intergenerational storytelling and informal learning by conducting key informant interviews with close relatives to document traditional food preservation techniques.  This study created a transformative intergenerational and multicultural bonding opportunity, which allowed students to better understand their relationships to food, culture, and their relatives. The students also documented how the relationship to food has changed over time. Findings from the study suggest that intergenerational storytelling can help reduce food waste by increasing food literacy, improving cultural connections, and raising awareness about alternative worldviews that challenge the commoditization of food.

scholarly journals Student food literacy, critical food systems pedagogy, and the responsibility of postsecondary institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-19
Author(s):  
Michael Classens ◽  
Emily Sytsma
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Studies ◽  
Postsecondary Institutions ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Support Students ◽  
Sustainable Food System

The recent “pedagogical turn” (Flowers and Swan 2012, p. 424) in food studies has productively focused attention on how to teach for a more just and sustainable food system. So far, however, the question of the place for food literacy in food systems pedagogy has received relatively little attention. In this perspective piece, we argue that critical food literacy needs to be a central feature of food studies curricula. Taking food systems pedagogy seriously means that teachers and institutions need to support students with the elements of critical food literacy. This focus will result in a more robust and effective food systems pedagogy, and higher levels of critical food literacy among students.

scholarly journals The Nature and Quality of Australian Supermarkets’ Policies that can Impact Public Health Nutrition, and Evidence of their Practical Application: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulker ◽  
Trapp ◽  
Scott ◽  
Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Public Health Nutrition ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Practical Applications

Improving population diets is a public health priority, and calls have been made for corporations such as supermarkets to contribute. Supermarkets hold a powerful position within the food system, and one source of power is supermarket own brand foods (SOBFs). Many of the world’s largest supermarkets have corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies that can impact public health, but little is known about their quality or practical application. This study examines the nature and quality of Australian supermarkets’ CSR policies that can impact public health nutrition, and provides evidence of practical applications for SOBFs. A content analysis of CSR policies was conducted. Evidence of supermarkets putting CSR policies into practice was derived from observational audits of 3940 SOBFs in three large exemplar supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, IGA) in Perth, Western Australia (WA). All supermarkets had some CSR policies that could impact public health nutrition; however, over half related to sustainability, and many lacked specificity. All supermarkets sold some nutritious SOBFs, using marketing techniques that made them visible. Findings suggest Australian supermarket CSR policies are not likely to adequately contribute to improving population diets or sustainability of food systems. Setting robust and meaningful targets, and improving transparency and specificity of CSR policies, would improve the nature and quality of supermarket CSR policies and increase the likelihood of a public health benefit.

scholarly journals A Review of Indigenous Food Crops in Africa and the Implications for more Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Racheal Akinola ◽  
Laura Maureen Pereira ◽  
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi ◽  
Francia-Marié de Bruin ◽  
Loubie Rusch
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
African Context ◽  
Indigenous Foods

Indigenous and traditional foods crops (ITFCs) have multiple uses within society, and most notably have an important role to play in the attempt to diversify the food in order to enhance food and nutrition security. However, research suggests that the benefits and value of indigenous foods within the South African and the African context have not been fully understood and synthesized. Their potential value to the African food system could be enhanced if their benefits were explored more comprehensively. This synthesis presents a literature review relating to underutilized indigenous crop species and foods in Africa. It organizes the findings into four main contributions, nutritional, environmental, economic, and social-cultural, in line with key themes of a sustainable food system framework. It also goes on to unpack the benefits and challenges associated with ITFCs under these themes. A major obstacle is that people are not valuing indigenous foods and the potential benefit that can be derived from using them is thus neglected. Furthermore, knowledge is being lost from one generation to the next, with potentially dire implications for long-term sustainable food security. The results show the need to recognize and enable indigenous foods as a key resource in ensuring healthy food systems in the African continent.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document