U of G Study Grabs National Headlines

A U of G researcher’s study on inequitable access to food was recently featured in The Globe and Mail and National Post, and in radio and television outlets across Canada. In the stories, researcher Kelly Hodgins, program coordinator with the Arrell Food Institute, discussed a new paper on barriers for lower income households to obtaining local, organic, sustainable or other ethically responsible food. Published in the journal Agriculture and Human Values, the study involved interviewing business owners within this alternative food system, which includes farmers’ markets and smaller grocery stores, and determining the social barriers that prevent these shopping spaces from becoming more inclusive. As part of the project, Hodgins developed a tool kit for business operators with suggestions on how to break down these social barriers.