Table 2 Food systems & health Equity/healthy living (CIHR funded)
Conceptualization, research and praxis | Accomplishments and challenges | |
|---|---|---|
Bio-security | Multi-dimensional analysis of processes associated with the production, distribution and eating of food to monitor direct as well as indirect (e.g. including environmental and socio-cultural interaction) pathways at different scales (global, national, local) to consider concerns such as effects on healthy eating and food security, as well as the introduction of contaminants. | Comprehensive English and Spanish language literature reviews have been carried out to consider opportunities for interventions to address gaps – and take account of different emphases in different settings, including the scope of what is meant by “health equity” in different cultures, leading us to extend the research program vision to embrace “healthy living” and the 4S orientation. As part of this effort, we are exploring the feasibility of examining multiple agricultural contamination of food and contamination of breast milk in women as a result of intensive chemical contamination agriculture. |
- Health justice | ||
Sustainability | Emphasis on considering food system effects on the sustainability of ecological and living systems that are otherwise undermined by the failure to take account of negative effects and positive opportunities associated with food production, distribution and consumption systems. | A comparative analysis of the positive and negative effects of agro-ecological and conventional production systems is underway to consider policy options to promote health equity by ensuring that such factors are considered in food-related decision-making. There are extensive measurement challenges in doing this. |
- Ecological justice | ||
Solidarity | Attention to social capacities for building healthy production systems and relationships to counter pressures from concentrated interests that dominate the global food system. | We have been examining the efficacy and effectiveness of strategic alliances and networks to support alternatives to global pressures identified as promoting negative health impacts – and attempting to confirm interest of policy-makers in the findings. |
- Social justice | ||
- Agency | ||
Sovereignty | Particular emphasis is on implications of operationalizing Food Sovereignty (recognized in the Ecuadorian Constitution) for promoting health. | Local capacities, resilience of social forces and the strength of the local agro ecologic culture to resist imposed food system transformations of food system relationships and assert healthier patterns is being reviewed, including consideration of policy options to enable this. |
- Epistemological justice | ||
- Interculturality | ||
- Respect for local expertise |