Food culture

We explore synergies and trade-offs between diversity and sustainability, including diets which are healthy, fair and accessible to all.

Research on diversity in food cultures are coordinated by SIFO – Consumption Research Norway at Oslo Metropolitan University. This work package aims at:

  • Identifying synergies and trade-offs between diversity and sustainability of dietary patterns in different modes of food consumption across countries and different localities to better understand differences in food cultures and diets and what causes these differences.
  • Identifying barriers and possibilities for developing diverse sustainable diets and food consumption practices in different localities.
  • Better understanding diversity and accessibility of organic and “good food” in the local foodscape of consumers across Europe.

We explore synergies and trade-offs between diversity and sustainability, including diets which are healthy, fair and accessible to all. It examines enabling and limiting factors for developing diverse and sustainable food cultures, diets and consumption practices at national and local levels in the five participating countries. We adopt a foodscapes approach to map patterns of food consumption and provisioning. Such mapping will compare and analyse differences among groups of households and individuals dependent on their geographical location, living conditions (housing) or socio-economic status. Foodscapes will also be used to analyse the social and cultural meaning of food and by focus group discussions exploring people’s views and ideas of their surrounding food environments. The foodscape concept will also function as a tool for identification and discussion of diversity and accessibility of organic and “good food” among different groups of consumers.

The project was co-financed by the NCBR, BMEL, MIPAAF, RCN and DEFRA within the framework of ERA-NET SUSFOOD and ERA-NET CORE Organic Cofund Joint Call program