scholarly journals Promotion of Healthy Food Environment and Food System: For a Healthier and More Sustainable Food Choice

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
Yukari TAKEMI
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Zhen Rong Eu ◽  
Mohd Jamil Sameeha

This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to study consumers' perceptions of healthy food availability in online food delivery applications (OFD apps) among public university students in Malaysia and its association with their food choices. A total of 290 subjects aged 19–29 years old were recruited from 20 public universities in Malaysia via snowball sampling. Data was collected through an online questionnaire which consisted of socio-demographic status, use of OFD apps (most frequently used brand, usage frequency, food choice, and expenditure per transaction), factors affecting food choice in OFD apps, consumers' perceptions of healthy food availability in OFD apps and recommendation for improvements. The most frequently used apps among the subjects was Food Panda (46.6%), however, majority of the subjects in this study (41.4%) rarely used OFD apps. Also, most of the subjects ordered unhealthy food (77.6%) and spent up to RM15–RM19 for each transaction (43.1%). There was no significant difference between the use of OFD apps and gender (p > 0.05). Among the five food choice motives, “price and convenience” motive was the most influencing food choice factor in OFD apps. Majority of the subjects (76.9%) had a negative perception of healthy food availability (variety, price, and quality of healthy food) in OFD apps. No significant association was found between consumers' perceptions of healthy food availability in OFD apps and their food choices made in OFD apps among the subjects in this study (p > 0.05). Also, majority (85.9%) responded they are keen to purchase healthy foods through OFD apps if they are given an option. However, most Malaysian public university students perceived that there were not much variety of healthy food, of good quality and affordable price, available in OFD apps. This finding suggests that the online food environment in Malaysia are perceived as unhealthy. Future studies can explore the online food environment particularly its impact on community health and well-being. Public health professionals and policymakers need to address the online food environment issues as part of the obesogenic food environment in Malaysia especially when OFD is one of the most convenient service in this country.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract Unhealthy diets are a key risk factor for disease and premature death in Europe and worldwide. Moreover, the food system is a key driver behind many processes of global environmental change, including climate change, biodiversity and habitat loss. Accordingly, calls have been made for a transformation of the global food system. This requires action in a variety of policy fields and on all political levels. The creation of healthy food environments through public sector action on a national and regional level is an essential aspect of this. The Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) is an established methodological framework for the assessment, analysis and benchmarking of public policies influencing food environments, developed by INFORMAS, a global network of public-interest organizations. In this 90 min workshop, we will present the approach used by the Food-EPI and results from the implementation of the Food-EPI on the EU level and in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland, followed by a joint discussion of lessons learnt and key policy implications. The Food-EPI has two components (policy and infrastructure support domains) covering a total of 13 domains and 47 indicators. For each indicator, policies and actions are compiled and benchmarked against international best practice by independent experts and stakeholders. Based on this assessment, priority actions for reform are identified. Policy makers and independent public health and nutrition experts are involved in key steps of the process to ensure policy relevance and impact. Key messages The systematic assessment and benchmarking of nutrition policies helps to identify priority actions to improve food environments and enhances government accountability for public health. Both on the EU level and in EU member states, governments have taken action to support healthy food environments, but considerable room for improvement remains.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
Rungsaran Wongprawmas ◽  
Cristina Mora ◽  
Nicoletta Pellegrini ◽  
Raquel P. F. Guiné ◽  
Eleonora Carini ◽  
...  

Healthy food choices are crucial for a healthy lifestyle. However, food choices are complex and affected by various factors. Understanding the determinant factors affecting food choices could aid policy-makers in designing better strategies to promote healthy food choices in the general public. This study aims to evaluate the food choice motivations and to segment consumer groups, according to their food choice motivations, in a sample of 531 Italian consumers (collected by convenience sampling), through offline and online survey platforms. K-means cluster analysis was applied to identify consumer groups using six food choice motivation categories (health, emotional, economic and availability, social and cultural, environmental and political, and marketing and commercial). The results suggest that the strongest determinants for the food choices of Italian consumers are Environmental factors and Health. Two consumer profiles were identified through the segmentation analysis: Emotional eating and Health-driven consumers. The respondents were found to have a good awareness of what comprises a healthy diet. There is a potential market for healthy and sustainable food products, especially products with minimal or environmentally friendly packages. Food labels and information strategies could be promoted as tools to assist consumers to make healthy food choices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Racheal Akinola ◽  
Laura Maureen Pereira ◽  
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi ◽  
Francia-Marié de Bruin ◽  
Loubie Rusch

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Corallo ◽  
Maria Elena Latino ◽  
Marta Menegoli ◽  
Alessandra Spennato

Food choices are complex functions of several elements that could change over time. Nowadays consumers appear careful about sustainable food consumption: the behavior of “food citizenship”, as the practice to support a sustainable food system during the consumption actions, arises. This study aims to recognize the existence of food choice behaviors in the contemporary scenario and to investigate the relation between the food choice factors and the behaviors recognized. Following a quantitative research method, a sample of 380 participants, recruited from a traditional Italian food and wine event, completed a questionnaire in order to detect their attitude about food. Four current food choice behaviors were recognized: The Individualist, The Foodie, The Environmentalist and The Health enthusiast. The relation between food choice factors and food choice behaviors was explained. Several stakeholders could benefit from the study results, in order to better understand how to adapt products and marketing strategies to satisfy the emerging customer’s needs and awareness. Even if a person can identify themselves within a single food choice behavior, they become aware of other choice models expanding their personal point of view. Finally, new research scenarios arose for the researchers.


BMJ Open ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e007161-e007161 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Penney ◽  
H. E. Brown ◽  
E. R. Maguire ◽  
I. Kuhn ◽  
P. Monsivais

Author(s):  
Lori Stahlbrand

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.


Author(s):  
Zhaohui Wu ◽  
Madeleine Elinor Pullman

Food supply chain management is becoming a critical management and public policy agenda. Climate change, growing demand, and shifting patterns of food production, delivery, and consumption have elicited a series of new challenges, such as food security, safety, and system resiliency. This chapter first introduces the typical players in a food supply chain and examines the global food system characterized by consolidation and industrialization. It then discusses some critical topics of the sustainable food supply chain that aim to address these challenges. These topics include traceability, transparency, certification and standards, and alternatives to industrialized food systems, including cooperatives, community-supported agriculture, and roles of small and medium-sized growers in regenerative agriculture. The chapter ends with a discussion of several important emerging logistics management topics, including last-mile delivery, new technology, and cold chain management.


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