Holistic approaches to evaluating and framing food literacies in Canada

Food literacies – our knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviours in relation to food and food systems – are increasingly being conceptualized more holistically following traditionally being disparate and siloed. To address growing global concerns for improved health outcomes and sustainability in food systems, researchers have been calling for more holistic approaches for framing, education and measurement of food literacies to be a tool to empower citizens for improved personal and planetary health. Accordingly, in this thesis, I aim to address these gaps with an objective of examining ways to more holistically assess and conceptualize food literacies, including a food systems perspective, in the Canadian context. To do this, I apply a mixed methods approach to 1) explore how food literacies and dietary guidelines converge to promote both health and sustainability outcomes, 2) explore how to measure Canadians’ food literacy using a multidimensional approach, 3) develop a definition for food systems literacy, and 4) develop a framework of food systems literacy competencies for youth in Canada with experts. Key results presented in this thesis include a more holistic framing of food literacies including a food systems dimension, the development of a brief measure to rapidly assess the food literacy of adults living in Canada, a definition for food systems literacy, and the Food Systems Literacies Competencies Framework for youth comprising of 50 key competencies achieving expert consensus. In this thesis, I contribute practical tools for better measurement and more holistic education of food literacies in Canada, and I build upon important scholarly discourse to more holistically frame food literacies for improved health and food systems sustainability.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Guelph

Author dc:creator

• Martin, Alicia, E.

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Fraser, Evan
• Haines, Jess

• Food literacies
• Food systems literacy
• Validity and reliability testing
• Food literacy
• Short food literacy questionnaire
• Definition
• Competencies
• Food systems approach
• Delphi study

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10214/28755

OAI record oai:identifier

https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Aatrium.lib.uoguelph.ca%3A10214%2F28755