Increasing resilience of food systems and the Mediterranean diet in times of crisis, using the sociotype framework

Abstract

This article uses the Sociotype framework to present insights and suggestions related to issues of food security and food systems, as they pertain to the resilience of a Mediterranean Dietary (MedDiet) pattern. The Sociotype framework was developed as a summary ecological construct to organize the multiple, dynamic, reciprocal inputs from the environment that interact with the genotype to determine the expression of phenotypic behaviours, such as coping with stress. It has three domains - Individual, Relationships and Context - which are discussed in this article using specific food systems-related examples, processes and research. Topics covered include the impact of crises on the general food supply and implications for policy; the novel idea of a Planeterranean Diet as a global extension of the MedDiet; strategies involving women to overcome diet-related stressors in challenging times; consumer attitudes and knowledge about sustainable fisheries and seafood consumption; and a potential MedDiet curriculum focusing on responsibility, frugality, creativity, and enjoyment. The article concludes with recommendations for policy action to promote food security and resilience by facilitating the consumption of a MedDiet within sustainable food systems.