Tackling household food insecurity in the UK: engaging practitioners, policy makers and academics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Politics
Abstract
Food insecurity contravenes the human right to food and has a detrimental impact on the health of individuals, households and communities. In 2019/20 14% of UK households experienced food insecurity. This ranged from experiencing anxiety about accessing adequate food, to reducing the quality, variety, and desirability of diets, to disrupted and reduced food intakes due to a lack of money and other resources. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity. Calls to address this pressing social issue are becoming increasingly urgent. It is well evidenced that the state holds key levers, including policies to increase household income, to tackle the underlying determinants of food insecurity and a growing body of scholarly work supports the calls for policy driven solutions. However, in the absence of these effective policy solutions in practice, third sector organisations often find themselves supporting households experiencing food insecurity, and there has been significant growth in these types of organisations in the last 20 years.
This fellowship builds on my PhD research which used the lens of institutional theory to provide insight into this burgeoning field of third sector organisations working in low-income communities to support food insecure households. Critically, given that the role of these community food providers as a response to food insecurity is contested, the research adopted a quasi-ethnographic approach to ascertain their internal perspectives. This aimed to better understand their structures, day-to-day practices, and motivations. The outcomes of the research include identification of the heterogeneity of these organisations, which was driven by a multiplicity of institutional logics informing their day-to-day practices. The findings also evidenced some micro acts of agency by these organisations that may, collectively, contribute to the change at a structural level necessary to tackle food insecurity. Building on these findings the purpose of the fellowship is to distribute the PhD findings and facilitate engagement with policy makers and practitioners.
The fellowship will allow me to publish my PhD findings in journals and present at academic conferences, thereby reaching a wide academic audience, and showcasing the contributions to knowledge of my research. I will also make methodological developments by exploring best practice in maximising practical experience in a policy or practice role, when undertaking academic research. Importantly, the fellowship will also have non-academic impact. The findings of my PhD will be used to inform the delivery of the Scottish Government's national plan to end the need for food banks by providing insight into how they can communicate with and support third sector organisations in the delivery of this policy. It will also support third sector organisations to maximise their potential for contributing to a collective and concerted effort to tackle UK household food insecurity. Both these aims will be achieved through collaborative working with both policy makers and practitioners. Planned outputs to support this non-academic impact include an online video exploring social change activities of community food providers, a special session at a relevant conference on this topic and short policy/practice reports that accompany the academic publications.
The fellowship comes at a key development stage in my career. Having completed my PhD, and concurrently worked alongside leading academics in the field of charitable food aid, I am now in a strong position to make the transition from doctoral researcher to an early career researcher. The fellowship will be held at the Department of Politics and International Relations at Sheffield University. The work of this fellowship compliments the sociological research agendas in the department and the university that include political economy, health inequalities, neoliberalism and social policy.
This fellowship builds on my PhD research which used the lens of institutional theory to provide insight into this burgeoning field of third sector organisations working in low-income communities to support food insecure households. Critically, given that the role of these community food providers as a response to food insecurity is contested, the research adopted a quasi-ethnographic approach to ascertain their internal perspectives. This aimed to better understand their structures, day-to-day practices, and motivations. The outcomes of the research include identification of the heterogeneity of these organisations, which was driven by a multiplicity of institutional logics informing their day-to-day practices. The findings also evidenced some micro acts of agency by these organisations that may, collectively, contribute to the change at a structural level necessary to tackle food insecurity. Building on these findings the purpose of the fellowship is to distribute the PhD findings and facilitate engagement with policy makers and practitioners.
The fellowship will allow me to publish my PhD findings in journals and present at academic conferences, thereby reaching a wide academic audience, and showcasing the contributions to knowledge of my research. I will also make methodological developments by exploring best practice in maximising practical experience in a policy or practice role, when undertaking academic research. Importantly, the fellowship will also have non-academic impact. The findings of my PhD will be used to inform the delivery of the Scottish Government's national plan to end the need for food banks by providing insight into how they can communicate with and support third sector organisations in the delivery of this policy. It will also support third sector organisations to maximise their potential for contributing to a collective and concerted effort to tackle UK household food insecurity. Both these aims will be achieved through collaborative working with both policy makers and practitioners. Planned outputs to support this non-academic impact include an online video exploring social change activities of community food providers, a special session at a relevant conference on this topic and short policy/practice reports that accompany the academic publications.
The fellowship comes at a key development stage in my career. Having completed my PhD, and concurrently worked alongside leading academics in the field of charitable food aid, I am now in a strong position to make the transition from doctoral researcher to an early career researcher. The fellowship will be held at the Department of Politics and International Relations at Sheffield University. The work of this fellowship compliments the sociological research agendas in the department and the university that include political economy, health inequalities, neoliberalism and social policy.
