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

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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.

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Notes

  1. A farm is any establishment from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were sold or would normally be sold during the year.

  2. Similarly, consolidation and concentration characterize other segments including food retail, livestock and grain industry focusing decision-making control throughout the food system among a handful of firms.

Abbreviations

ADA:

American Dietetic Association

CADE:

Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education

DPG:

Dietetic practice group

FNCE:

Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition

HEN:

Hunger and Environmental Nutrition

JHEN:

Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition

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  1. Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Martha Van Rensselaer Hall Room 305, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

    Jennifer L. Wilkins

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  1. Jennifer L. Wilkins
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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Wilkins.

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Wilkins, J.L. Civic dietetics: opportunities for integrating civic agriculture concepts into dietetic practice. Agric Hum Values 26, 57–66 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-008-9177-2

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