The Cornell Family and Community Food Decision-making initiative (familyfood.human.cornell.edu) takes a community-based, family-centered ecosystems approach to integrate the goals of agriculture and sustainable food systems with those of families to create sustainable (economically and ecologically) food systems which support health and well-being for all. Objectives for this year were to: 1. Develop theoretical and empirical ecosystem models to study relationships among community food systems, food decision-making processes, and health and well-being. 2. Develop methodologies for assessing family and community food assets and food decision-making processes through engaged research with communities.

Explanations for the obesity “epidemic, e.g.” range from individual responsibility to environmental situations (obesigenic environment). However, issues such as obesity also result from a breakdown in the relationships between sustainable food systems, food decision-making and health and well-being. Instead of focusing one specific piece of the ecosystem as in many studies, this project explores and describes the important relationships among the different levels of the food systems and within families. Understanding these relationships will allow us to support social engagement in the sustainable food system leading to a greater sense of well-being. Thus, the focus upon the process of social engagement within the food system adds a new perspective to the risk of obesity because instead of looking at one small part of the picture, we view the interrelationships among different levels of the food system.

Published the Family Food Decision-making Framework. Finalized the Framework connecting Sustainable Food Systems to Health and Well-being. These frameworks illustrate the role that families play within the environment, and increase capacity for framing issues related to obesity. We also collected data for pilot test of the Family Food Decision-making Change survey and perceptions of health and well-being.

Gillespie is co-chairing a national NIH conference on Decision-making based on this project`s outcomes and others` work. The Family Food Decision-making within an Ecosystems Context Framework was used to frame the Fingerlakes Obesity Initiative. The Family Food Decision-making Framework was applied to program and evaluation development for the Cooking Together for Family Meals program. Researchers and educators are using the Family Food Decision-making Framework for research proposal development and program planning and evaluation.

Food Decision-making

Multistate