Session 23 – Food System Literacy

Overview

In this session, we will discuss the development and current context of food system literacy and examine some of the connections between science, food processing, marketing and health outcomes in North America. In tutorial, you will have time to prepare for the final exam.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

  • Define food system literacy
  • Identify micro, meso, and macro level qualities within food systems
  • Apply food system literacy framework to analyze a wicked problem

Key Terms + Concepts

  • Food system literacy

Required Readings + Resources

  • Widener, P., & Karides, M. (2014). Food System Literacy: Empowering Citizens and Consumers Beyond Farm-to-Fork Pathways. Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 17(4), 665–687. Access through UBC Library

Food Literacy + Food System Literacy

“Being able to read a food label is one thing, understanding why a McDonalds is so cheap, filling and ubiquitous is another.” (Wills, 2009, p. 4)

Food literacy is a nuanced concept with a variety of perspectives around what it actually means or entails. Velardo (2015), offers a framework for thinking about health literacy which can be adapted to fit the concept of food literacy. This framework considers three dimensions: 1) functionality, 2) interactivity, and 3) criticality (Velardo, 2015). Functional food literacy is basically an ability to obtain factual information about food (dietary and production) and an understanding of factors that enhance or hinder well-being and the environment. Interactive food literacy is the what a person does with this factual information. A person’s capacity to act on functional food literacy, or use the information gained in a meaningful way, is determined by many factors. Lastly, critical food literacy encompasses the ability to critically appraise food systems and the actions taken to address barriers to a healthy food system, whether global, regional, or household-level food systems. This could also be termed food system literacy.

References

  • Velardo, S. (2015). The Nuances of Health Literacy, Nutrition Literacy, and Food Literacy. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 47(4), 385–389.
  • Wills, J. (2009). Health literacy: new packaging for health education or radical movement? International Journal of Public Health, 54(1), 3–4.

Tutorial Session

In tutorial, you will have time to prepare for your final exam.

Additional Material

This is a HIGHLY recommended read! The article features interviews with former and current junk food industry insiders, PR professionals and other experts who helped or continue to help create, market and sell the most addictive, cheap, and highly processed foods possible–all while making it appear to be healthy and fashionable through clever marketing and PR techniques.

  • VIDEO - CBC National, March 06, 2013. There's a science to making addictive food, a practice that convinces us to eat food that's bad for us because it tastes so good - includes interview with journalist Michael Moss.

source: https://wiki.ubc.ca/Course:LFS250/Food_System_Literacy_Session