Food resilience in a time of changing climates

At present, the global food system does not deliver food security. Food security occurs when all people, at all times have access to sufficient, affordable food that meets their dietary needs and preferences. Climate change impacts such as natural disasters, changing rainfall patterns, decreasing biodiversity and soil quality, along with intersecting issues such as war and conflict, inequality, and macroeconomic instability, further threaten food security.

As well as affecting physical wellbeing, these threats to the food system and responses to them impact social, emotional and cultural wellbeing. For example, the stress of trying to procure (enough) food affects individuals' mental health, the ability to share meals is core to many social and cultural relationships, and nation-level decisions about food production, imports and exports affect cultural eating pracices, including whether people can access traditional foods.

Amid these dynamic challenges, it is ultimately people who are impacted by how the food system is designed and managed. Recognising this, we research how people are affected by food insecurity, including how these effects intersect with other societal challenges; what people want in terms of food, diet, and food systems; and how the transformations necessary to create a food system that meets people's wants and needs can happen.

Relevant publications