Research centres collaborate to explore the harmful effects of the UK industrialised food system
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Food and diet are major contributors to global ill-health and environmental degradation.
But is it possible to eat ourselves into wellbeing and sustainability? With the food system facing crises of obesity, malnutrition, soil depletion and carbon emissions, what role can management scholars play in diagnosing and transforming this landscape?
To address these questions, Professor Damian O’Doherty (Centre for Organisational and Employee Wellbeing, Director) and Professor Jo Meehan (Centre for Sustainable Business, Director) brought together researchers from each centre for a one-day workshop to debate possible solutions with academic and industry leading experts.
Opening the discussions, Professor Bob Doherty (University of York) used systems thinking to map key players in the food industry and identify where change is most feasible.
Lucy Antal shared insights from grassroots initiatives tackling food poverty in Liverpool drawing on her experiences as director of Alchemic Kitchen CIC, who run the Queen of Greens mobile greengrocer service.
Addressing the historical roots of today’s food systems, Dr Sarah Arens (University of Liverpool) explored how colonial legacies have shaped diets. Sarah argued that to tackle food in crisis there is a need to come to terms with this colonial past, something that many find challenging and upsetting.
The conversation then turned to the welfare of animals, with Professor Jonathan Rushton (University of Liverpool) arguing that improvements in human health could not happen without considering the plight of animals in the mass market industrialised food system.
David McDiarmid (Princes Food) highlighted the role of corporate organisations in driving progressive change to the production and consumption of food.
Dr Elaine Swan (University of Sussex Business School) and her team from the Women’s Environment Network presented research from Tower Hamlets district of London, showing how community-led food projects offer ‘pockets of survival’ for people experiencing racism, exclusion and social impoverishment.
Three ‘TED’ style provocations brought the day to a close with Professor Mike Zundel (ULMS) critiqued systems thinking approaches; Steven Jacobs (Organic Farmers & Growers CIC) called for a shift to organic food production and consumption; and Dr Claes Belfrage (ULMS) emphasised the need to confront neoliberal power structures that inhibit meaningful reform.
A final plenary revealed no easy answers but a shared recognition of the tensions within the food system.
Participants agreed on the need for open dialogue and a renewed commitment to education, empathy and curiosity to help build a food system that serves wellbeing and sustainability.