Sustainable solutions to the intractable problems of food insecurity

可持续解决粮食不安全这一棘手问题

• 批准号: 2600504
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Liverpool
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2600504
• 关键词: Sustainable; solutions; intractable; problems; food

Food insecurity is conceptualised as a lack of physical, social or financial means to obtain safe and nutritious food in adequate quantities to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. It is highly intertwined with the wider determinants of health, including social, cultural, and political factors. Food insecurity has increased dramatically in the UK as a result of recent welfare reforms driven by austerity, which have intensified the economic pressure felt by disadvantaged groups. COVID-19 has further impacted many individuals and families financially due to sudden unemployment and loss of income due to illness. Social factors including housing and unemployment, and environmental factors such as the presence of food deserts and swamps within communities also play a role in the disproportionate development of food insecurity within the most disadvantaged populations. The effect of food insecurity is wide-ranging and severe. Paradoxically, the prevalence of hunger and micronutrient deficiencies has increased in the UK, alongside increases in over-nutrition and non-communicable diseases such as obesity in lower socio-economic groups. This has been directly related to the consumption of cheap, energy dense yet nutrient poor diets in this population. Additionally, food insecurity also impacts mental health, being linked to increases in anxiety and depression. Food insecurity is a worryingly and seemingly intractable problem in the UK and despite receiving much recent media attention during the pandemic, lack of effective policies and government dedication is concerning. This has led to reliance on celebrities to raise awareness of the gravity of the issue and lobby for change. Similarly, with levels of food insecurity ever-increasing, the charitable sector is relied upon to bridge the gap. However, traditional food aid can provide only short-term, emergency relief, relying heavily on the generosity of others. Increasing reliance on food aid in response to the food insecurity crisis is not only unsustainable for charities, but the food distributed through food aid services is often nutritionally inadequate. Food banks have a limited capacity to provide fresh and healthy foods to meet dietary guidelines and consequently, those receiving food aid find themselves forced into consuming non-perishable, ultra-processed foods which may, in reality, be contributing towards widening health inequalities. Changes that allow the welfare system and food environment to be conducive to reducing health inequalities are required to address the root causes of food insecurity. Alternatives to traditional food aid are urgently required in order to secure the provision of good food for all. Working in collaboration with the local social enterprise Can Cook, this research aims to recommend an economically sustainable, scalable and community-centred response to food insecurity. The development of such a response will be informed by an evaluation of the limitations of traditional food aid, including the eradication of food choice and negative consequences to mental and physical health and wellbeing of those in receipt of support. The attitudes and experiences of food insecure individuals will be considered in order to inform an optimum process to support local food security both at the household and community level, and promote an effective, relevant and sustainable social enterprise response.

粮食不安全的概念是缺乏物质、社会或财政手段来获得足够数量的安全和营养食物，以促进健康和积极的生活方式。它与更广泛的健康决定因素，包括社会、文化和政治因素密切相关。在英国，粮食不安全问题急剧增加，这是由于最近的福利改革受到紧缩政策的推动，这加剧了弱势群体所感受到的经济压力。新型冠状病毒疫情因突然失业及因疾病而失去收入，进一步影响许多个人及家庭的财务状况。包括住房和失业在内的社会因素，以及社区内存在粮食沙漠和沼泽等环境因素，也是造成最弱势人口粮食不安全状况不成比例发展的一个因素。粮食不安全的影响是广泛和严重的。奇怪的是，在英国，饥饿和微量营养素缺乏症的流行率有所增加，同时营养过剩和非传染性疾病（如社会经济地位较低的群体中的肥胖症）也有所增加。这与这一人群消费廉价、能量密集但营养不良的饮食直接相关。此外，粮食不安全也影响心理健康，与焦虑和抑郁的增加有关。粮食不安全是英国一个令人担忧且看似棘手的问题，尽管在疫情期间最近受到媒体的广泛关注，但缺乏有效的政策和政府的投入令人担忧。这导致了对名人的依赖，以提高对问题严重性的认识和游说改变。同样，随着粮食不安全程度不断加剧，人们依赖慈善部门来弥补差距。然而，传统的粮食援助只能提供短期的紧急救济，严重依赖他人的慷慨。越来越多地依赖粮食援助来应对粮食不安全危机不仅对慈善机构来说是不可持续的，而且通过粮食援助服务分发的粮食往往营养不足。粮食银行提供新鲜和健康食品以满足膳食指南的能力有限，因此，接受粮食援助的人发现自己被迫消费不易腐烂的超加工食品，而这实际上可能加剧健康不平等。需要进行变革，使福利制度和粮食环境有利于减少健康不平等，以解决粮食不安全的根源。迫切需要替代传统粮食援助的办法，以确保向所有人提供优质粮食。这项研究与当地社会企业Can Cook合作，旨在推荐一种经济上可持续、可扩展和以社区为中心的应对粮食不安全的方法。在制定这种对策时，将参考对传统粮食援助局限性的评价，包括消除粮食选择以及对接受支助者身心健康和福祉的负面影响。将考虑粮食不安全个人的态度和经验，以便为在家庭和社区一级支持当地粮食安全的最佳过程提供信息，并促进有效，相关和可持续的社会企业应对措施。