Equity as both a means and an end: Lessons for resilient food systems from COVID-19

Klassen, Susanna; Murphy, Sophia

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105104

Cited by 121 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Current reporting of COVID-19 in India focuses on the demographics of age and state, with almost no publicly available COVID-19 data disaggregated by social determinants such as disability, religion, caste and rurality (personal communication with others researching disparities in India). This study joins the call by others for research and data that uses an intersectional lens and disaggregated data in order to address the social inequities at the intersection of poverty, disability, caste and religious discrimination and gender [ 7 , 12 , 23 , 45 , 46 ] and further calls for increased attention to the assets and resources employed by individuals [ 43 ] and communities to cope and be resilient in adversity such as the COVID-19 crisis [ 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Compounding disadvantage related to intersectional identity such as low literacy, female gender, disability, landlessness, dwelling in poor urban housing areas and widowhood led to increased and significant mental distress for most participants. Our findings suggest people already disadvantaged by their social identity and structural exclusions are more likely to experience further social exclusion, greater health needs, reduced access to care and ultimately, worse outcomes in the COVID-19 crisis [ 7 , 32 , 44 ], which has acted as an inequality amplifier [ 16 , 27 , 45 ]. Women in our study particularly reported bewilderment and low knowledge about COVID-19, and other intersectional studies of disasters have shown that women are more likely than men to be disadvantaged due to their reduced access to the protective attributes such as literacy, education, paid employment and political decision-making which are critical resilience factors in disaster [ 4 , 15 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People in informal urban settlements with already limited access to resources can experience extortionate costs to access water or toilets and are often not represented by formal or informal governance structures [ 27 ]. Research that does not seek to include and represent the perspectives of those with compounded disadvantage, fuels inequalities in policy [ 16 , 27 , 45 ]. Current reporting of COVID-19 in India focuses on the demographics of age and state, with almost no publicly available COVID-19 data disaggregated by social determinants such as disability, religion, caste and rurality (personal communication with others researching disparities in India).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“We’ve got through hard times before” : acute mental distress and coping among disadvantaged groups during COVID-19 lockdown in North India - a qualitative study

Mathias¹,

Rawat²,

Philip

et al. 2020

Int J Equity Health

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Background The COVID-19 crisis in India negatively impacted mental health due to both the disease and the harsh lockdown, yet there are almost no qualitative studies describing mental health impacts or the strategies of resilience used, and in particular, no reports from the most vulnerable groups. This study aimed to examine the acute mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis as well as coping strategies employed by disadvantaged community members in North India. Methods We used an intersectional lens for this qualitative study set in rural Tehri Garwhal and urban Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand, India. In-depth interviews were conducted in May 2020 during lockdown, by phone and in person using purposive selection, with people with disabilities, people living in slums with psychosocial disabilities and widows (total n = 24). We used the framework method for analysis following steps of transcription and translation, familiarisation, coding, developing and then applying a framework, charting and then interpreting data. Findings The participants with compounded disadvantage had almost no access to mobile phones, health messaging or health care and experienced extreme mental distress and despair, alongside hunger and loss of income. Under the realms of intrapersonal, interpersonal and social, six themes related to mental distress emerged: feeling overwhelmed and bewildered, feeling distressed and despairing, feeling socially isolated, increased events of othering and discrimination, and experiencing intersectional disadvantage. The six themes summarising coping strategies in the COVID-19 crisis were: finding sense and meaning, connecting with others, looking for positive ways forward, innovating with new practices, supporting others individually and collectively, and engaging with the natural world. Conclusions People intersectionally disadvantaged by their social identity experienced high levels of mental distress during the COVID-19 crisis, yet did not collapse, and instead described diverse and innovative strategies which enabled them to cope through the COVID-19 lockdown. This study illustrates that research using an intersectional lens is valuable to design equitable policy such as the need for access to digital resources, and that disaggregated data is needed to address social inequities at the intersection of poverty, disability, caste, religious discrimination and gender inherent in the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“We’ve got through hard times before” : acute mental distress and coping among disadvantaged groups during COVID-19 lockdown in North India - a qualitative study

Mathias¹,

Rawat²,

Philip

et al. 2020

Int J Equity Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The result was that, in addition to changing food purchase patterns, the pandemic also generated an increase in the losses of these products in retail markets with a consequent reduction in traders' income [8]. An extraordinary situation has arisen in which the interconnected deficiencies of food, social and economic systems were exacerbated [8,9]. As a result of the pandemic, problems that threatened food security arose in Brazil, such as reduced cultivation and production of food, supply, and access to the centers of consumption for distribution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption Behavior and Residential Food Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak in Brazil

et al. 2021

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The objective of this research was to look into the self-reported food consumption and wastage behavior in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the motivations to prevent this waste. The data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Brazil, May 2020, using a self-administered questionnaire with 60 questions on food consumption behavior and characterization of food waste behaviors. The target audience comprised Brazilian residents responsible for household food purchases; out of 489 responses, 458 were considered valid. The main findings reported that regarding consumption behavior, there are no significant differences in relation to gender, education, and age. The surveyed population preferred shopping in person, despite the recommendation of social distancing, and reported activities to avoid food waste. This behavior suggests the importance of information and consumers’ education in making purchases and reducing waste, mainly amidst a crisis. The results suggest that intention to reduce waste, routines of food purchase in sales and management routines of leftovers or uneaten food are positively related to reducing the economic value of food waste. As a practical contribution, this study expands the understanding in one Latin American country regarding food consumption and wastage. The theoretical contribution leads to understanding of the behavior in times of crisis such as a pandemic.

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“…In a "just" society, access to healthy food should be treated as a universal human right 6 , not as something that depends on purchasing power as any non-essential good (Klassen and Murphy, 2020). In a market-based economy the eradication of poverty (SDG #1) goes hand in hand with the eradication of hunger (SDG #2).…”

Section: Policy Priorities Highlighted By the Covidmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and Sustainable Food Systems: What Should We Learn Before the Next Emergency

Bisoffi

Ahrné

Aschemann‐Witzel

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Three key transitions leading to a “safe and just” operating space, with a focus on food systems, emerged during the development of a Foresight study promoted by SCAR (Standing Committee on Agricultural Research1): (a) sustainable and healthy diets for all; (b) full circularity in the use of resources; (c) diversity as a key component of stable systems. As consequence of COVID-19, food emerged again as a central element of life, along with health, after decades in which food security was taken for granted, at least in most developed countries. The COVID-19 outbreak offered the opportunity for a reflection on the importance of resilience in emergencies. Sustainable and healthy diets for all, was shown, during the pandemic, to depend much more on social and economic conditions than on technical aspects of food production and processing. Agriculture and the agro-industry have now a potential to absorb, at least temporarily, workers laid out in other sectors; the pandemic could be an opportunity to re-think and re-value labor relationships in the sector as well as local productions and supply chains. A full circularity in food systems also would benefit from stronger links established at the territorial level and increase the attention on the quality of the environment, leading to the adoption of benign practices, regenerating rather than impoverishing natural resources. Diversity is a key component of a resilient system, both in the biophysical sphere and in the social sphere: new business models, new knowledge-sharing networks, new markets. The three transitions would operate in synergy and contribute to the resilience of the whole food system and its preparation for a possible next emergency. Science can support policy making; however, science needs to be better embedded in society, to have a clear direction toward the grand challenges, to address the social, economic, behavioral spheres, to aim clearly at the common good. We need to re-think the conundrum between competition and cooperation in research, devising ways to boost the latter without sacrificing excellence. We need to improve the way knowledge is generated and shared and we need to ensure that information is accessible and unbiased by vested interests.

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Equity as both a means and an end: Lessons for resilient food systems from COVID-19

Cited by 121 publications

References 16 publications

“We’ve got through hard times before” : acute mental distress and coping among disadvantaged groups during COVID-19 lockdown in North India - a qualitative study

“We’ve got through hard times before” : acute mental distress and coping among disadvantaged groups during COVID-19 lockdown in North India - a qualitative study

Consumption Behavior and Residential Food Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak in Brazil

COVID-19 and Sustainable Food Systems: What Should We Learn Before the Next Emergency

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