It’s the time of year again when many of us resolve to do better with food – for the health of ourselves, our families, and our planet. The journey our food makes from farms all over the world to get to our forks (and food bins ) is associated with about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, and environmental pollution. From scientists to politicians, there is a growing awareness that we need to do better with food for environmental reasons, but knowing how to do better is really challenging.
Research in Ireland shows that most people want to take positive action for the environment and against climate change. But there is a lot of information and misinformation doing the rounds on ‘sustainable food’ — should we buy local, eat seasonal, avoid processed food, choose organic? Should we eat meat, go veggie, choose plant-based or try new alternatives? Combine these questions with the more practical considerations of our likes and dislikes, our lifestyles and family commitments, where we shop and what we spend, and the challenge of taking positive food action becomes even greater.
Researchers at the University of Galway are exploring people’s view of sustainable food, and what approaches people are already taking (or are willing to take ) to make their food choices more sustainable. Their research will measure the environmental impacts and healthfulness of these approaches — to put numbers on how healthy Galwegian diets already are for people and the planet. Dr Anne Mullen of the Food Systems Research Group at the University of Galway said: “We believe that people hold the most creative and effective solutions to do better with food — and we are keen to learn about challenges and solutions to sustainable food from any adults living in rural and urban Galway.”
If you are interested in contributing to this research, you’ll get the chance to join focus groups with others living in rural and urban Galway to discuss your views on sustainable food, to share experiences, and to speak with and ask questions of researchers with expertise in food and nutrition. Have a look at the advertisement, follow the QR code for more information, or get in touch directly with PhD student [email protected].
