Critical food guidance

Abstract

In this themed section, we argue that beyond health-related dietary goals for society, food guidance must also reflect the expanding public awareness and uncertainty about the complexities and vulnerabilities of the current food system. Increasingly influential issues include environmental change, agriculture-related pollution, food worker injustice, animal welfare, persistent household food insecurity, food waste, and fish stock depletion. No form of food guidance can address all these complex phenomena, but many people want to be informed and empowered to make change. Accordingly, academic and citizen groups have been devising an assortment of directives, recommendations, principles, and charters to promote alternative food environments and food behaviours that cumulatively support sustainable food systems. These on-going debates and efforts can collectively be termed critical food guidance.