Food Citizenship Report
* Report: Food Citizenship Report.
URL = download
Description
"The Food Citizenship report is the result of a ten month inquiry, working with six organisations across the food industry to explore a future 'Citizen' food system. We’ve worked together to explore what could happen if all the key players in the food system switched from a Consumer to a Citizen Mindset; generating ideas and testing new approaches to Food Citizenship. We’re deeply excited to share the findings of this work and to start a new conversation in the food system."
Findings
DIAGNOSIS
"Our food system is stuck because we are thinking small
The idea that people are best understood as Consumers is pervasive throughout the food system, particularly in the language we use.
‘Consumer’ is not a neutral word or idea; it is proven to prime us into behaving with short term, self-interest over our more deeply held values. The more pervasive the idea of the Consumer the more we accept and reinforce a narrow version of ourselves, driven by price and convenience alone.
This trap is a root cause of many of the problems of the food system., limiting efforts to change it for the better.
As a result, "By most indicators, the challenges facing the food system are getting worse not better" (Food Ethics Council)
We need to think bigger.
VISION
Expanding our idea of humanity will unlock massive change
It doesn’t have to be this way. Our work shows people can and want to shape the societies we live in, and feel most fulfilled when we are able to do that. We are Citizens, not just Consumers.
If we start from this bigger idea of humanity, we can reimagine every role in the food system - from shareholders to NGOs to government, producers and brands - and approach every debate with new questions, harnessing people power and ideas.
Food Citizenship is a creative opportunity to make our food system fairer and more sustainable, and to build commercial success in a different way. Our report shows it is a trend gathering momentum in food, as in other sectors and industries.
We need to equip individuals and organisations to see themselves and others as Food Citizens, so that together we can deliver the significant change the food system needs." (https://www.foodcitizenship.info/)