Food Systems Equality Project

Healthy, sustainable food ideas from disadvantaged communities

Most people enjoy food, but not everyone is able to eat in a way that is enjoyable, good for their health and the environment. People in less affluent areas of our city often have less choice over what they eat due to lots of things, including access and affordability. On top of this, people experiencing this type of injustice often have less say/ sway around the decisions that directly affect them. The Food Systems Equality project is directly tackling these issues.

What is the Food Systems Equality (FoodSEQual) project and its aims?

Members of FoodSEqual gathered together for a photo.The vision is to provide citizens living in less affluent areas choice and agency over the food they consume, by working with them to create new products, new supply chains, and new policy frameworks that deliver an affordable attractive, healthy and sustainable diet.

FoodSEqual is a national, five-year research project, involving four areas across England – Brighton and Hove, Tower Hamlets, Plymouth and Reading. Community organisations (including the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership), universities, businesses, experts from government and other key people have joined together to co-produce knowledge and tackle the complex issue of food system inequality.

How is the project happening in Brighton Hove?

The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership hosts a brilliant team of community researchers who are all connected to a Community Shop in some way (as these shops are often in less affluent areas of the city). We get out and about in the heart of local communities, and hold research events to really listen to what people have to say about their food experiences, frustrations and ideas. All along the way we are learning about how to ‘do’ community research in the best, most equitable way.

In the first year of research, working closely with the University of Sussex, we learnt that Beans and Pulses and Fish are the top two types of food that residents would like to eat more of. National supply chain experts, environmental scientists, food scientists, policy experts and more key people are now thinking a lot about how to make this happen.

What have local people got to say?

People have a lot to say! Locals care passionately about food, the health of their families and the environment and have plenty of thoughts on how to make things better. You can read a summary of what we have heard so far in our blog written by the community researchers.

While the range of people we have spoken to has been very varied in terms of culture, education, age, housing situation, family size etc, their voices have been clear and united in the call for better access to healthy, fresh and affordable food. People are keen to share ideas about how this could be achieved.

Find out more

To read more about the project and how it is moving forward, go to our Food Systems Equality blog. or scroll down to find our Frequently Asked Questions for the project below.

How can you get involved

You can sign up online for occasional updates about the project and invites to upcoming workshops. Or you can get in contact with Shelley Taylor on [email protected] / 07935 481 677.

Frequently asked questions connected to the Food Systems Equality Project

  • What is co-production?

    Co-production in this context means new research knowledge is ‘co-produced’. This means that all participants work together on a research issue without privileging one type of knowledge over another, we produce the research together and have co-ownership of it.

  • What is a food system?

    The combination of all of the elements- – natural and man-made that combine to produce, process, market and sell the food we eat and the connections between them. It can be said to include everything from the sun and soil to the till and cornershop (NFS ,2021 – National Food Strategy).

    Complex diagram showing the food system, and its relationship to: politics, health, environment, society and economy

  • What is inequality?

    Inequality means unequal access to opportunities.

  • What does ‘less affluent’ mean in Brighton and Hove?

    Brighton and Hove can seem like a very ‘well off’ city to those that visit it, and even to some people that live in it. However, we have high levels of inequality.

    We use something called the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to map areas. The measure looks at 37 different things that could make an area less privileged, e.g. access to schools/GPs, average household income and calculates them together to come up with final rating. While we know that people are not numbers, and this measure is not perfect, it’s still a useful tool to help us listen to the right people.

  • What does ‘sustainable food’ mean?

    A sustainable diet is a way of eating that is good for health and for the environment – now and in the future.

    It can be defined as ‘dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable’ Food and Agriculture Association of the United nations

  • What is a community researcher?

    Community researchers are people who are members of a community and who are given training to conduct research in their own community.

    One of the benefits of local people listening to local people in this way is that real understanding can be translated into practical ideas/solutions, that people want and that work!

    More and more this type of research is being asked for (by universities, government, businesses and more) and done because it ensures it is carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ communities rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ and ‘for’ them.

  • What is a ‘policy framework’?

    ‘Food policy’ can be anything from a government paying farmers to grow a certain food, to a school head teacher making sure vegetables are in every child’s meal. A policy is system of guidelines to inform decisions and achieve outcomes.

    A policy framework is broader that an individual policy, it a document that sets out a set a procedures or goals to guide a more detailed set of policies.

  • What is a ‘supply chain’?

    A food supply chain is all of the processes involved with food from where is it created, to where is eaten/wasted. These processes can be roughly categorised into; farming/agriculture/fishing, processing, logistics (transport), storage, shops and restaurants.

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