Civic dietetics: opportunities for integrating civic agriculture concepts into dietetic practice

Abstract

When Thomas Lyson developed the concept of Civic Agriculture, he provided a useful framework for considering a range of distinct but related professional areas. One such profession is dietetics. Registered dietitians work in a broad range of professional settings, including academic, clinical, administrative, hospitality, food service, and consulting. Dietetic practice has traditionally and primarily been informed by advances in understanding of the role nutrients and food play in enhancing health and reducing chronic disease risk. With support from the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the largest credentialing organization for nutrition practitioners, an increasing number of dietetic professionals consider food and agricultural sustainability issues relevant to their training and practice. Longstanding organizational structures, practices, and alliances characterizing the association, however, may limit the extent to which the organization and its members unify around a concept of civic dietetics. Recent developments within the ADA indicating an emergence of civic dietetics. This paper suggests ways the civic agriculture concept may be applied to dietetic practice, and how civic dietetics may help further civic agriculture and sustainable food systems.

Multifunctional Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Land Use Planning in the United States

“…Along with food safety, another health consideration is the contribution of urban agriculture to human nutrition. Wilkins suggests dietetic professionals are becoming more involved in food systems and sustainable agriculture issues, leading to the emergence of -civic dietetics‖ [105]. Great opportunities exist to use urban agriculture to combat childhood obesity in particular, since these systems can engage children through a holistic approach that could encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity in gardening.…”

Dietitians as leaders, past, present and future

“…In the last two decades, the expansion of the role has continued and now includes marketing, advertising, journalism, sports nutrition, policy making and political lobbying, product development among others. These are now mainstream, even though they are often considered ‘non‐traditional’ by some, 16 with calls to expand further into areas such as civic agriculture (sustainable local development) 17 . Dietitians are also employed in general health management positions and can be very influential, but their influence is much harder to identify.…”

“…These are now mainstream, even though they are often considered 'nontraditional' by some, 16 with calls to expand further into areas such as civic agriculture (sustainable local development). 17 Dietitians are also employed in general health management positions and can be very influential, but their influence is much harder to identify.…”

A Atuação Profissional Do Nutricionista No Contexto Da Sustentabilidade

“…Wilkins 11 propõe em seu trabalho o termo "civic dietetics" (tradução livre: "nutrição civil"), assumindo que as externalidades que permeiam as escolhas alimentares e as forças políticas e econômicas que moldam o sistema alimentar são tão legítimas à prática nutricional quanto os conhecimentos sobre nutrientes e a relação entre alimentação e saúde. 11 A autora sugere que a prática nutricional deve promover um novo sistema alimentar; sustentável, justo, economicamente viável e baseado na comunidade.…”