This Food Literacy International Partnership (FLIP)(1) is a global partnership that welcomes the sharing of local, national and international approaches to food literacy education. We aim to connect professionals and researchers as they share current research and educational initiatives. A web site has been created to connect a diverse range of thinkers and practitioners working to engage their communities to consider how food is used to ‘read’ their world and how they can to sustainable consumption and equitable access to food. We are non-profit collective that is aiming to develop food literacy education through conversations that are engaging educators, researchers and policy makers/influencers. Our initial funding is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Partnership Development Grant awarded in 2021.This research partnership between University of British Columbia Canada, Deakin University Australia, the University of Gothenburg Sweden and Sweet Briar College, USA draws together a multidisciplinary team of experts from around the world who are interested in building the capacity of teachers for food literacy education. It will enable a comparative analysis of food literacy education practices (K–12) and outcomes in different geographic contexts and the development of professional development materials to develop, support and enhance the practice of educators. Each country will share findings from in-country food literacy education research projects to inform the global hub. Knowledge mobilization will include collaborative scholarly article writing, webinars and the creation of a website that will connect teachers with a global network of food literacy educators. The FLIP objectives are to:
• conduct research that engages with food literacy education that includes curriculum and pedagogical approaches within formal contexts – early childhood–12
• engage in practices that promote social justice, food sovereignty and sustainable food supply
• support educators to provide inclusive and engaging educational experiences that develop food literacy.
FLIP runs a webinar series that explores key ideas within food literacy that are hosted in different world regions and explore themes by notable speakers. The aims of the Australian hub of FLIP are mainly to derive practical forms of support for food educators. The overall aim is to assist in the dissemination of valid food and nutrition knowledge and skills in schools via the following objectives:
• investigating school food and nutrition environments and explore different approaches to food literacy education in primary and secondary schools
• developing sustainable professional development programs for teachers in food and nutrition education in partnership with relevant national and state authorities.
These will include the conduct of qualitative and survey studies of key stakeholders at primary and secondary school levels. The website will be the centralised location for the preservation and sharing of the research data, the professional development modules, and the teaching materials.
