A food pedagogy framework – to advance societal health and sustainability through urban-based, food-related initiatives

Complex societal challenges are on the rise in urban areas and food has important roles in addressing these challenges. Insights into the potential of food pedagogies to address urban food-related challenges and activities are required. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop a pedagogical framework to inform food-related activities including food policies or food strategies, policy development, and food-related programs, with the goal to promote societal health and environmental sustainability. This research adopted a qualitative exploratory research approach to seek key information from food leaders about how adults learn about food, health and environmental sustainability through food-related activities in communities. A scoping literature review investigated key elements and influences over food-related activities within food pedagogies, which informed the proposed research. Following this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced food leaders from diverse food-related fields in Australia. Thematic analysis identified patterns and features of the data regarding the participants’ views and experiences.