ABSTRACT
The current chapter examines the dominant paradigms of food-related policy associated with people’s food-related practices. Policy actions directed towards people’s food-related practices are any actions intended to promote healthier and more sustainable food systems by modifying the beliefs, values and social practices of individuals and groups. This chapter critically examines food and nutrition policy action aimed at influencing people’s food-related practices through three distinctive models of human decision-making: rational choice model; predictable irrationality model; and social learning models. The review examines the current evidence of effectiveness and ethical acceptability of the policies built on these three rationalities. The dominant policy actions that focus on people as self-interested or non-reflexive consumers have not succeeded in solving the problems of obesity, food insecurity and climate change, and the new emerging concepts of food citizenship based on social learning models are still in their infancy. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future policy actions to change people’s food-related practices to help achieve healthy and sustainable food systems.
