An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities

Our research is rooted in community operational research (community OR) and adopts a qualitative problem structuring approach to exploring potential solutions for addressing inequality in access to affordable healthy food in disadvantaged communities in Wales, UK. Existing food provisions are synthe...

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Main Authors:	Wang, Yingli, Touboulic, Anne, O'Neill, Martin
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier 2018
Online Access:	http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/8/1-s2.0-S0377221717310767-main.pdf

id	nottingham-48540
recordtype	eprints
spelling	nottingham-485402018-04-17T04:56:41Z http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities Wang, Yingli Touboulic, Anne O'Neill, Martin Our research is rooted in community operational research (community OR) and adopts a qualitative problem structuring approach to exploring potential solutions for addressing inequality in access to affordable healthy food in disadvantaged communities in Wales, UK. Existing food provisions are synthesised and barriers to their effectiveness are identified. A portfolio of actions and commitment packages is co-developed with multiple stakeholders in order to bring about desired changes. Although these solutions address concerns specific to local Welsh communities, they can be generalised and applied in similar settings where food desert problems prevail. We draw upon insights from the literature on inequality, food deserts, and social capital to conceptualise the solutions around both material (providing and accessing) and social (reconnecting and strengthening) aspects. By addressing both material and social aspects simultaneously, we show how community-driven intervention can contribute to reducing inequality in disadvantaged communities. Our research experience reveals that COR is particularly effective in tackling a ‘wicked’ problem such as food deserts, and allows researchers to engage with communities, gain an understanding about the problematic situation and guide intervention efforts in a sustainable and systemic manner. A number of methodological reflections are offered as a way to contribute to the development of the field as a whole. Elsevier 2018-08-01 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en cc_by_nc_nd http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/8/1-s2.0-S0377221717310767-main.pdf Wang, Yingli and Touboulic, Anne and O'Neill, Martin (2018) An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities. European Journal of Operational Research, 268 (3). pp. 1021-1039. ISSN 0377-2217 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221717310767 doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2017.11.065 doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2017.11.065
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
building	Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
description	Our research is rooted in community operational research (community OR) and adopts a qualitative problem structuring approach to exploring potential solutions for addressing inequality in access to affordable healthy food in disadvantaged communities in Wales, UK. Existing food provisions are synthesised and barriers to their effectiveness are identified. A portfolio of actions and commitment packages is co-developed with multiple stakeholders in order to bring about desired changes. Although these solutions address concerns specific to local Welsh communities, they can be generalised and applied in similar settings where food desert problems prevail. We draw upon insights from the literature on inequality, food deserts, and social capital to conceptualise the solutions around both material (providing and accessing) and social (reconnecting and strengthening) aspects. By addressing both material and social aspects simultaneously, we show how community-driven intervention can contribute to reducing inequality in disadvantaged communities. Our research experience reveals that COR is particularly effective in tackling a ‘wicked’ problem such as food deserts, and allows researchers to engage with communities, gain an understanding about the problematic situation and guide intervention efforts in a sustainable and systemic manner. A number of methodological reflections are offered as a way to contribute to the development of the field as a whole.
format	Article
author	Wang, Yingli Touboulic, Anne O'Neill, Martin
spellingShingle	Wang, Yingli Touboulic, Anne O'Neill, Martin An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities
author_facet	Wang, Yingli Touboulic, Anne O'Neill, Martin
author_sort	Wang, Yingli
title	An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities
title_short	An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities
title_full	An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities
title_fullStr	An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities
title_full_unstemmed	An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities
title_sort	exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged welsh communities
publisher	Elsevier
publishDate	2018
url	http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/ http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48540/8/1-s2.0-S0377221717310767-main.pdf
first_indexed	2018-09-06T14:00:21Z
last_indexed	2018-09-06T14:00:21Z
_version_	1610866933032288256

An exploration of solutions for improving access to affordable fresh food with disadvantaged Welsh communities

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