Middle-class consumers and alternative food networks in Bengaluru, India: Exploring pathways for transition to sustainable diets

by Neda Yousefian
Doctoral thesis
Date of Examination:2024-11-11
Date of issue:2025-01-17
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Christoph Dittrich
Referee:Prof. Dr. Christoph Dittrich
Referee:Prof. Dr. Heiko Faust
Referee:Prof. Dr. Eva Schlecht
Referee:Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller
Referee:Prof. Dr. Daniela Sauer
Referee:Dr. Miriam Wenner
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-11014

 

 

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Abstract

English

The urgency for transitions toward sustainable food systems that promote and support sustainable diets is of critical importance for both planetary and human health and wellbeing. Currently, food systems are responsible for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, rates of malnutrition remain high and rates of obesity are rising, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The growth of the global middle class, expected to reach 5 billion by 2050 and concentrated in Asia, coupled with increasing urbanization and the associated socio-economic, lifestyle, consumption, ecosystem, and dietary changes will have profound impacts on food systems. Therefore, designing resilient food systems that uphold social, economic, and environmental sustainability and produce foods that are safe, nutritious, affordable, and culturally acceptable is of critical importance. In this thesis I examine the role of alternative food networks as a component of sustainable food systems and in contributing to sustainable diets. I target urban middle-class households in Bengaluru, India, a rapidly growing Global South megacity. The first and fourth manuscripts presented in this thesis shed light on direct marketing activities between urban middle-class consumers and urban and peri-urban producers. The second manuscript focuses on food safety perceptions and influences on food consumption practices, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The third manuscript examines notions of traditional diets and raises issue with how such diets are defined and presented. Overall, my aim is to present research on different components of sustainable food systems and sustainable diets that are currently being practiced among urban middle-class consumers in Bengaluru and to offer insights into potential pathways for sustainability transitions.
Keywords: sustainable diets; alternative food networks; Indian middle class
 
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