FoodSEqual is part of the UKRI-funded ‘Transforming the UK Food Systems for Healthy People and a Healthy Environment’ Strategic Priorities Fund. The project seeks to transform the UK food system by identifying and implementing innovations and new configurations of the food system, which are necessary to deliver improved nutritional public health and wellbeing for citizens from disadvantaged communities with enhanced environmental sustainability. FoodSEqual has been delivered across Reading, Cranfield, Plymouth, Kent, and Sussex universities, working in partnership with communities and business.
The project has been divided into three phases: Benchmarking, Innovation, and Evaluation. In addition, two themes addressing ‘Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability’ and ‘Policy, influence and impact’, run across the three phases.
As part of the project, Alex Kelk, who at the time was studying for an BSc in Human and Physical Geography at the University of Reading, conducted research into fast food consumption in the Whitley area of Reading, utilising community engagement and Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods.
Here, you can view his paper, Examining Factors Facilitating Fast Food Consumption in Whitley.
Alex is now studying for an MSc in Urban Analytics at the University of Glasgow. You can find out more about his research in this blogpost: https://research.reading.ac.uk/community-based-research/student-voice-participatory-action-research-food-systems-in-undergraduate-study/