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Food Citizenship and the Public Interest

Summary of the impact

The Centre for Food Policy (CFP) at City University London uses applied research to develop `public interest' approaches to understanding the relations between food systems and consumers. A key focus is the tension between `food citizenship' and consumerism. Our research has long asked how food policy-makers can address and improve citizenship interests when faced with both `old' social divisions (inequalities, poverty, poor market access) and `new' pressures (energy-water-biodiversity footprints, environmental knowledge deficits, de- and re-skilling). Our impact has been in promoting policies to reshape the conditions for good, low impact consumption through: (a) generating high-level debate about sustainable diets (what to eat) at population and individual levels; (b) identifying and mapping the cultural and spatial realities that shape consumer choices; and (c) foregrounding the challenge of health literacy. CFP proposals have gained traction in food policy locally, regionally and internationally (including Europe, the USA and Australia), helped by our long and close relations with civil society organisations (including the United Nations) and with growing impact on government and companies, including the major supermarkets.

Submitting Institution

City University, London

Unit of Assessment

Sociology

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Influencing Policy and Practice for Sustainable Food Communities

Summary of the impact

Research into `Food and Sustainable Communities' has become increasingly applied and impact- oriented during the current REF census period, reflecting a diversification in funding sources and a growing recognition of the significance, quality and international reach of the research undertaken.

This research has delivered national and international impact in the following key areas:

  • Impact on practitioners and professional services, influencing and enabling the work of Non-Governmental Organisations working in support of the local food economy and community food growing sector in the United Kingdom;
  • Impact on public policy and services, informing the development of new Common Agricultural Policy measures to promote sustainable agricultural livelihoods and farm product quality.

Submitting Institution

Coventry University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration, Sociology

Understanding the impact of recent changes in UK food and farming

Summary of the impact

Research by Jackson and the CONANX group (Consumer anxieties about food) at Sheffield has enhanced understanding of recent changes in UK food and farming, including the globalization of supply chains, technological innovation and retail concentration all of which have led to increased consumer anxieties about food safety and security. The research has influenced commercial practice for a leading UK food retailer; enhanced public understanding and encouraged more healthy eating (via museum exhibitions, an educational website and changes to school curricula); and helped shape public policy (through Jackson's work with DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency).

Submitting Institution

University of Sheffield

Unit of Assessment

Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Household Food Security in the Global North

Summary of the impact

Building on a background in nutritional science, Professor Dowler's research on social and policy aspects of food, nutrition and household food security has created impact at local, national and international levels. Her membership of key national expert advisory panels and councils, both official and voluntary, has allowed the research to inform policy-making as well as print and broadcast media debates on many issues, notably the consequences of low wages and benefit cuts on the diet of low-income households; the role played by food banks in relieving food poverty and the benefits of local food networks in securing community-level food resilience.

Submitting Institution

University of Warwick

Unit of Assessment

Sociology

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Economics: Applied Economics

Food Safety, Quality & Sustainability

Summary of the impact

Food safety and quality management developments have resulted from a combination of major food incidents, government regulations and industry initiatives. This has led to the development of private standards that have become quasi-regulatory on industry. The body of evidence aggregated from the RAU's research and consultancy activities has provided a unique global perspective on food safety regulation and management. Governments, NGOs and industry have used this evidence to further national and global strategies for food safety management including primary production. Current research is now centering on two key areas: strategic management of risks in primary production and public: private partnerships supporting agriculture.

Submitting Institution

Royal Agricultural University

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Front of Pack “traffic lights” nutrition labelling adopted across the UK

Summary of the impact

One solution proposed to contribute to the resolution of the current UK obesity crisis has been to provide clear, visible and easily understood nutritional information to help consumers make informed decisions when purchasing food. Newcastle research provided two insights: first that consumers found it hard to interpret multiple versions of nutritional labels, and secondly that the label with the highest overall comprehension included traffic light colouring, Guideline Daily Amounts and the words "low", "med" and "high" to aid decision making. This information was used by the Department of Health in their approval of a new, consistent food labelling in June 2013. This system has now been adopted by major manufacturers including MARS, Nestlé UK, PepsiCo UK and Premier Foods, and retailers including Sainsbury's, Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, The Co-operative Food and Waitrose.

Submitting Institution

Newcastle University

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Health Services

Developing Community Capacity And Innovation in Short Sustainable Food Chains

Summary of the impact

The CCRI's extensive programme of funded research (for the EU, UK government, research councils, private and the voluntary sectors) into local and sustainable food has impacted at both national and local levels. Nationally, it has led directly to changes in fishing regulations (Defra), adjustments to ministerial roles (DCLG), changes in the implementation of the Big Lottery's Local Food programme and the successful development of traditional food markets. Locally, food strategies and marketing strategies for local food have been developed and community food growing has been implemented on the ground. National television and radio coverage have ensured wide dissemination.

Submitting Institution

University of Gloucestershire

Unit of Assessment

Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration, Sociology

The Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP)

Summary of the impact

The Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP) sought to achieve research-based change in policy approaches to food insecurity and famine in southern Africa by investigating a range of policy options and generating debate. The programme's success can be identified in evidence of use, as provided by a post-programme independent evaluation of RHVP; policy response, as observed in social protection policy changes in Malawi, Lesotho, Botswana and Mozambique; and policy outcomes, measured by the impact on beneficiaries of social transfer schemes put in place or expanded in scope due to RHVP influence on social protection policy thinking in southern Africa.

Submitting Institution

University of East Anglia

Unit of Assessment

Anthropology and Development Studies

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Economics: Applied Economics
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Improvements to the practices and procedures of the European Food Safety Authority

Summary of the impact

Research at Kingston University into global food safety, led by Professors Naughton and Petroczi, established new methods of using large databases to identify risks in the food chain and inform regulatory action.

Through Professor Naughton's chairmanship of the EFSA External Review Working Group, this research contributed to improvements in the practices and procedures of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the main body providing scientific advice to the European Union on risks in the food chain. This led to a reduction of around 75% in the number of erroneous outputs generated by EFSA, with consequent benefits to food safety across the EU.

Submitting Institution

Kingston University

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Information and Computing Sciences: Information Systems
Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Enhanced carbon footprinting of food products

Summary of the impact

Bangor research has significantly affected vegetable sourcing and distribution policies and practice of major fresh producers and UK supermarkets. Using a novel carbon footprinting model that incorporates all components of the production chain, the research demonstrated that footprints of vegetables vary with season, origin, production processes, transport and storage. The application of this model by industry partners has resulted in measures by food producers, suppliers and supermarkets to reduce carbon footprints, providing direct economic and environmental benefits through both waste reduction and technology implementation. Furthermore, the findings have impacted on sustainability policy development by the World Bank, international NGOs and Welsh Government, and influenced consumer awareness and debate on the environmental impact of food.

Submitting Institutions

Bangor University,Aberystwyth University

Unit of Assessment

Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

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