Work package one will focus on Identifying systemic drivers of food-related inequalities from a citizens’ perspective.

Aims

1. To identify the systemic drivers and barriers of dietary behaviours among people living in socioeconomic insecurity, from a citizen and professionals perspective. 
2. To gain insights into the differences and similarities between the perspectives of citizens and professionals related to the systemic drivers and barriers of dietary behaviors.
3. To determine the systemic leverage points and policy actions to facilitate healthier dietary behaviours among people living in socioeconomic insecurity from the perspective of citizens and professionals in European cities. 

Why are we doing the research

A systems approach can provide insights into the underlying mechanisms influencing dietary behavior, and into the combination of food environment and social policies tackling more distal determinants of dietary behavior that would be most effective.

Especially, to achieve dietary and health equity in the long term, there is a need to engage with disadvantaged communities and key stakeholders, as this can provide more insights into the main drivers and underlying mechanisms for food-related inequalities and identify leverage points for change.

Moreover, limited system-based studies have been conducted that engaged with communities and professionals simultaneously and that reflected upon the differences and similarities in drivers and underlying mechanisms of dietary behaviour of people living in socioeconomic insecurity. 

These reflections provide valuable insights into the structural policies and actions required to address food-related inequalities, as most policies are currently designed and implemented by individuals who lack socioeconomic insecurity and may therefore have a different understanding of the issues and necessary solutions. 

What is involved

1. Defining, identifying and engaging with disadvantaged communities/people living in socioeconomic insecurity and key stakeholders/professionals related to systemic food-related inequalities (e.g. in the food and social domain) in each country;    
2. Developing systems maps outlining the main drivers, barriers and underlying mechanisms for healthy dietary behaviours by disadvantaged communities/people living in socioeconomic insecurity   from a citizen and stakeholder perspective. The maps will be created via group model building (GMB) sessions.  
3. Envisioning changes to the system by identifying leverage points for change and formulating actions/policies to facilitate healthier dietary behaviour among people living in socioeconomic insecurity from the perspective of citizen and professionals in European cities. A second GMB session will be used to reflect on the two different systems maps created from the perspectives of citizens and stakeholders. Moreover, based on the identified leverage points in these maps (by the researchers), citizens as well as stakeholders will formulate actions for changing the system.  A report about this study will be written including the outcomes of the GMB sessions (i.e. the system maps, reflections, and a detailed  action plan.  

Who is involved

Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the Netherlands will lead the research for Work Package one.

The other partners taking part in Work Package 1 are: 

UCC (University College Cork) Ireland, University of Ghent (UG) Belgium, Ministry of University and Research (MUR), Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (UCSC).  

Outputs for Work package 1

There are currently no outputs to report