Conclusion
This research study was concerned with investigating how food culture contributes to a healthy and sustainable university setting. The results have shown that currently, the most pressing issue impacting on the food culture on the Deakin Burwood campus is the high cost of purchasing food on campus. It is an issue that is of major concern to staff and students alike, and it is resulting in a number of students choosing to go hungry rather than eating whilst at university. Another aim of this research was to uncover the barriers and enablers for fostering a healthy and sustainable setting at Deakin through its food culture. It is concerning that high proportions of staff and students do not buy healthy food on campus because it costs too much. Of particular concern is the very high number of international students who currently do not buy healthy food on campus because it is too expensive. The results show us that cost is the main barrier to Deakin fostering a healthy food culture on the Burwood campus. However, it should be noted as this finding is based on a small number of international students, future research aimed at investigating how international students view the cost of healthy food at university would be beneficial. The results have shown that whilst the majority of staff and students view the issues of food sustainability (seasonal produce, locally grown/produced food, fair trade foods and rubbish free foods) as important, such considerations are not viewed as important as the cost of food on campus. This shows that, as with healthy eating, cost is once again a barrier; in this case, it is a barrier to Deakin fostering a sustainable food culture on the Burwood campus. However, as the sample comprised staff and students from the Faculty of Health, it may be that respondents’ interest in food is skewed towards its health attributes, with them having less interest in sustainability. Future research should attempt to reach a wider sample so that this potential bias can be ruled out.
An enabler to a healthier and more sustainable food culture, which also improves the social connectivity of the cohort, may be the implementation of sustainable food initiatives that do not require a cost outlay from staff and students. This research provides encouragement to universities that rely on multiple independent food outlets, where there is no direct control over the food choices provided, that it may be possible to bring about a more sustainable food culture through the implementation sustainable food initiatives, such as community gardens, farmers markets and improved student access to kitchenettes.
