Incorporating Sustainable Food Systems into Practice: The Perceived Roles, Knowledge Needs, and Practice Barriers of Dietitians and Nutritionists from the Caribbean Region

ABSTRACT

Caribbean region food systems are unsustainable. Dietitians and nutritionists (D/N) are uniquely positioned to leverage food systems sustainability on multiple levels and in this region are motivated to facilitate change, but little is known about how to leverage this workforce to affect change. This exploratory study examines knowledge levels, perceptions about the role, and barriers and opportunities related to incorporating sustainable food systems (SFS) into practice. Participants perceived D/N have a role in supporting SFS, and a high level of knowledge. Societal barriers, such as prioritization of profits from food, present strong barriers. Recommendations for action at multiple levels are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainable food systems
• dietitians
• nutritionists
• barriers
• Caribbean

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dorothy M. Graham-Charles and Patricia Thompson for being our contacts in the CANDi region and for their support throughout the project. We would also like to thank Acadia University for the Acadia University Research Fund, which helped fund this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Acadia University .