Prof Alexandra Johnstone and Dr Daniel Crabtree are from Scotland. Prof Johnstone is Chair in Human Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen. She is currently leading on a UKRI Transforming Food Systems Grant focusing on Food Insecurity and Obesity. Dr Crabtree is a Research Fellow with the NIHR-funded Health Determinants Research Collaboration Aberdeen and has previously worked with the University of Aberdeen and the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Episode summary:
01.30 Alex and Dan share more about their background and their interest in rural communities
04.10 What are food environments and why do they matter?
10.20 How might rural food environments be different?
14.30 How is food insecurity being managed in Scotland and the UK?
18.00 How does inequity impact rural food environments?
20.30 How much is climate change impacting food security for the UK and globally?
26.10 What are some of the key issues when thinking about food insecurity and obesity?
33.00 What is the role of local retailers?
38.00 What impact does less access to healthy food have in rural and remote communities?
41.30 What are some key insights and policy recommendations from their work?
Key Messages:
Food environments are everything from the farm to the fork or from soil to sewage. It involves numerous stakeholders.
We have a huge proportion of people living with obesity, it has a higher prevalence in areas of social deprivation. It is not about blaming individuals but about how we can change the food environment to make it easier to make healthy choices.
BridgeAct was a project which developed an interactive toolkit for transforming food systems, it helps decision makers plan effective impact delivery strategies. It was tested by Aberdeen city council.
Food insecurity having the fear of not having enough food to feed your family over the next week.
Food security is more about imports and exports and having food available at a national level.
Remote and rural communities do encounter unique challenges when trying to access healthy and affordable food. This can include disruptions to long food supply chains, often this impacts island communities more often.
Food delivery services are more common in urban areas but in rural and remote areas they are often not available.
People living in rural and remote communities depend on cars and fuel to access supermarkets. The food can be more expensive but so can the cost of petrol. Public transport can be unreliable or non-existent.
Food that is produced in rural farming communities is often not consumed there but sent away for packaging and then potentially resold to them.
Surveys of people have shown that low prices on healthy and sustainable foods, particularly staples, would help families plan their food purchases allowing for better food budgeting and meal plans.
There is complexity around promoting healthy food, there is no uniform definition of what a healthy sustainable food would be.
When oil prices increase this has a huge impact on spending in rural and remote areas, not just for food purchases, but also the ability to get to work or take children to school.
Global warming impacts food production and our ability to have enough food to feed our populations. It impacts food systems and health systems and people's ability to stay well.
Vertical farms have controlled environmental conditions, they may not be the most environmentally friendly solutions as they require electricity, but they do allow communities to grow food all year round.
Investment in local food production may be a way to improve local food system resilience. Local communities of practice may also be useful for practices and strategies to guard against food shortages.
The ask for retailers is to offer a range of foods that are both healthy and environmentally sustainable, this would include fresh food but also frozen and tinned produce which has a longer shelf life.
The paradox of food insecurity and obesity, someone with a limited income to spend on food, they are more likely to make choices to buy the foods with the lowest cost. These tend to be foods high in fat, sugar and salt, this then drives rise in obesity.
Food costs have increased by 40% in the last five years. This means people rely on discounts and offers which are often for unhealthy foods.
If a community only has a small local convenience store, then you will struggle to access fresh nutritious food. The food there is also often much more expensive.
Rural and remote populations do not always have the option to choose a different retailer if they are not satisfied with what is available, however many accept that this is part of life in those communities. The local retailer also has an important role in those communities as they can often provide much needed spaces for social interactions.
Explored facilitators and barriers to accessing healthy food for older adults living in rural and remote areas. Barriers around price, distribution and access, however older adults may be less inclined to cook for themselves. Lunch clubs can be ways to improve social connection and nutrition.
In the tourist season on the islands this can lead to food shortages and requires a change to meal plans.
Price is the greatest barrier preventing healthy food purchasing. Policymakers could level the playing field and compel all supermarkets to price healthy foods in line with inflation to ensure more equitable access for all.
Legislation to prioritize healthy food promotion. Reducing ultraprocessed food and prohibiting them to be placed on the shelves at promotional prices.
Prioritize long term funding commitment for local initiative in rural and island communities.
Investment in community food preparation and storage facilities, this can help buffer impacts of shocks to local food systems.
Supporting communities of practice and making food supply chains more resilient.
Contact info for Prof Johnstone and Dr Crabtree
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