[LUM#15] Towards a food democracy

Restoring confidence in local food to limit the ravages of junk food. These are the recommendations of a team of researchers who mapped the food environment in major African cities.

© Mark Green

It is a global scourge with serious consequences, and it does not spare the African continent where obesity is gaining ground, particularly in large cities. In Ghana and Kenya, nearly half of women are overweight and obese, accompanied by their procession of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases.

Why is the phenomenon taking on such weight? And above all, how can it be alleviated? To better understand its contours, a team of international researchers went to meet the inhabitants of three disadvantaged neighborhoods as part of a project involving researchers in nutrition and social sciences from French teams from the IRD and CIRAD in Montpellier and from English, Ghanaian and Kenyan universities. "We really worked with the inhabitants," emphasize Michelle Holdsworth and Nicolas Bricas, " by asking them in particular to take photos of where they do their shopping and the factors that influence their daily diet in order to better understand their food landscape," explain the researchers from the Moisa laboratory *.

Popular supermarkets

Snapshots that highlight a change in food: "industrial food is popular to the detriment of traditional local foods available rather in informal points of sale such as kiosks or street stalls" , note the researchers.

Why are residents turning more to these products? “Packaged foods, which are low in nutrients but high in fat and sugar, are easily accessible and widely advertised in these poor communities,” explains Michelle Holdsworth. And these are not the only reasons. “People fear a lack of hygiene in informal distribution points, the fear of food poisoning is very present,” adds Nicolas Bricas. A fear that pushes residents, reassured by the healthiness of the packaging, towards foods and drinks that are too fatty, salty, sugary.

Consultation

To reverse this trend, "we must restore confidence in local food by allowing small artisans to work in good hygienic conditions: set up healthy processing and catering areas, organize waste collection, etc." Support for "small popular catering" must first and foremost be done in consultation with residents. "These future solutions must be imagined together through ongoing discussion with all residents. In particular, we must prevent these changes from causing extra work for women, who are the first to be affected," warn the specialists.

After this essential dialogue with residents, the researchers are turning to policies to integrate these recommendations, particularly into urban planning policies. "We must consider it as a true food democracy," conclude Michelle Holdsworth and Nicolas Bricas. To redesign a healthier food landscape, beneficial for health but also for the local economy.

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