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Unravelling the food literacy puzzle: Evidence from Italy

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  • Palumbo, Rocco
  • Adinolfi, Paola
  • Annarumma, Carmela
  • Catinello, Giuseppina
  • Tonelli, Marco
  • Troiano, Ersilia
  • Vezzosi, Stefania
  • Manna, Rosalba

Abstract

Food literacy – i.e. the ability to collect, understand, process, and use relevant information to navigate the food system – is a key concept inspiring food policies across the World. While scholars agree in discussing the interplay between individual food literacy skills and the health, social, environmental, political, cultural, and economic aspects of food consumption, evidence on the extent and consequences of limited food literacy is scattered. This paper tries to shed light on this issue, proposing a measurement approach to assess the food literacy skills of a representative sample of the Italian population. The research findings suggest that problematic food literacy is prevailing: elderly, people with low education, and those suffering from financial deprivation are more likely to show limited food literacy. Inadequate food literacy concurs in producing impaired health status. Integrated policy interventions are needed to improve individual food literacy skills and to support the establishment of a just and sustainable food system.

Suggested Citation

  • Palumbo, Rocco & Adinolfi, Paola & Annarumma, Carmela & Catinello, Giuseppina & Tonelli, Marco & Troiano, Ersilia & Vezzosi, Stefania & Manna, Rosalba, 2019. "Unravelling the food literacy puzzle: Evidence from Italy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 104-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:83:y:2019:i:c:p:104-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.12.004
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    Cited by:

    1. Nadia Steils & Zakia Obaidalahe, 2020. "“Social food”: Food literacy co-construction and distortion on social media," Post-Print hal-03097928, HAL.
    2. Andrea Begley & Ellen Paynter & Lucy M. Butcher & Vanessa Bobongie & Satvinder S. Dhaliwal, 2019. "Identifying Participants Who Would Benefit the Most from an Adult Food-literacy Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-16, April.
    3. Steils, Nadia & Obaidalahe, Zakia, 2020. "“Social food”: Food literacy co-construction and distortion on social media," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).

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