Bronwen Powell

Broadly, my research examines the social, cultural and environmental drivers of human nutrition, diet and food security. Much of my recent research examines the role of forests and wild foods in food security and nutrition of rural and Indigenous communities, primarily in Africa. My work contributes broadly to our understandings of the sustainability of food systems and diets around the world. Much of my recent research has focused on how forests, landscape diversity and land use change contribute to human diet and nutrition. Most recently I have been examining how climate change, land use change, market access and policy change impact the food systems and diets of rural and Indigenous peoples around the world (Tanzania, Indonesia, Alaska).

I am interested in how the concept of healthy food environments, which has been widely explored in urban and higher income country settings, can be applied in rural African settings to understand dietary choice. In addition to availability, cost and accessibility, I am also interested in how social, cultural and political aspects of food environments shape dietary choice. I draw on multiple theoretical frameworks, including social-ecological systems, political ecology and food studies approaches to examine socio-cultural factors that mediate peoples’ relationship with and use of their environments to meet their food and dietary needs. Much of my work is aimed at informing and improving food, nutrition and land use policy to support healthy diets and justice for rural and Indigenous communities.