Toward Wellness
Asynchronous Session
Addressing Food Access in US Rural Communities: Food Banks as Food Hubs View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Clea Rome
What is the role that food banks, with their well-established aggregation and distribution networks, can play in reinventing rural food systems in the US? This paper gives an example of a successful project from the rural Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, US that is connecting the dots between local small-scale food production and those in need in our communities, and reinventing the role that food banks, with their well-established aggregation and distribution networks, can play in serving as food hubs for small rural communities to provide greater food access to underserved community residents.
A Matter of “Meatigation”: The Use of Consumer Insights Data to Inform Consumer Education Campaigns on Sustainable Red Meat Consumption in South Africa View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Marina Fourie, Nadene Marx Pienaar, Hanri Taljaard Swart
Sustainable consumption, in tandem with sustainable production, in terms of the thjree pillars of sustainability, is an undeniable priority of the global food industry amidst the current climate change crises. It is however no small feat to change the direction of decades of unsustainable choices made by consumers and in order to break a chain of consumerism and maintain a functioning sustainable environment in terms of the economy, natural environment and society, change needs to occur on both the supply and demand side. Efforts to improve and encourage sustainable consumption from the food industry’s side are becoming a prominent part of corporate and social responsibility. The South African Red Meat Industry Services prioritises research and development, as well as generic consumer education as key functions in developing a sustainable red meat industry value chain. The main aim of their consumer education campaigns is to empower consumers with the correct information to make sustainable consumption decisions. Consumers’ decisions and intentions are influenced heavily by their attitudes. A consumer insights study, investigating consumers’ attitudes towards different practices surrounding sustainable red meat production and consumption, was conducted to determine current consumer education priorities as well as approaches. The results of the study reveal that education, targeting the cognitive dimension of attitudes, on animal handling, environmental sustainability and utilization should be prioritised to mitigate sustainable consumption of red meat amongst South African consumers. The results of this study fed directly into the Lamb and Mutton South Africa consumer education campaign and are presented.
Tracing the Origins of a Productive, Healthy, and Sustainable Cacao in Colombia : Food Scientific Networks in the 20th Century View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Carolina Bonilla León
The 1940s marked a milestone in the history of cacao science in Colombia. It was the first time that different local and foreign scientists evaluated the relevance of which cacao variety to cultivate. Discussions were put on the table between the choice of cacao varieties that would impact the quantity and quality of cacao produced in the country. Not only did it matter which cacao to grow, but also how to grow it; experts began to consider the environmental aspects of plantations while incorporating "technological packages" familiar to those known in the green revolutions in Latin America, which in addition to selected seeds included pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, practices that were spreading among growers through agricultural promotion and extension programs. In the 21st-century criteria of forest conservation in agroforestry systems that consider environmental and social sustainability criteria are beginning to be evaluated, as well as organic crops that replace the "modern" techniques of the mid-twentieth century by minimizing the use of fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, the problem of high levels of cadmium in cacao and chocolate has generated new networks of scientists and growers who are increasingly interested in human and soil health. Analyzing the two periods makes it possible to identify continuities and transformations in the relationship between agriculture and industry and how knowledge-making is co-produced.
