The Social Narrative of Sustainable Eating and Its Cultural Challenges

Sonia Kaur Bansal; Kuldip Sharma; Krati Sharma; Garima Chauhan; Shruti Tiwari

doi:10.2991/978-2-38476-583-6_40

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The Social Narrative of Sustainable Eating and Its Cultural Challenges

Authors

Sonia Kaur Bansal¹^{, *}, Kuldip Sharma², Krati Sharma¹^{, 2}^{, 3}^{, 4}^{, 5}, Garima Chauhan⁴, Shruti Tiwari⁵

¹Professor, Humanities, English Language and Soft Skills, Poornima University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, 302022

²Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Applied Sciences, Poornima College of Engineering, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, 302022

³Professor, Humanities, English Language and Soft Skills, Poornima Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, 302022

⁴Associate Professor, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, India

⁵Professor, Gyan Vihar School of Education, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, India

^*Corresponding author. Email: drsoniakaurbansal@gmail.com

Corresponding Author

Sonia Kaur Bansal

Available Online 30 June 2026.

DOI: 10.2991/978-2-38476-583-6_40 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Sustainable Eating; Cultural Challenges; Social Narratives; Food Culture; Dietary Transitions; Food Identity; Environmental Impact; Socioeconomic Barriers; Food Literacy; Sustainability Policy
Abstract: The present paper will analyze the social discourse which forms the concept of sustainable eating and the multifaceted cultural dimensions which affect the uptake of the concept in different societies. Sustainable eating has become a core concept in the environmental as well as the popular health rhetoric, as eating habits that safeguard the well-being of human beings and reduce the environmental effects. Nonetheless, the application of sustainability principles into daily food behavior is severely intertwined with culture, social conventions and individual identity. Based on the literature published between 2015-2022 and the discussion of the media, and some comparative studies in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, this research paper examines the interaction of the social meaning and food identity with structural inequities, as applied to the choice of diet. The results explain that the questions of sustainable diet are not merely environmental, but also social and cultural losses of tradition, power of control, and social power. The author identifies food illiteracy, cultural and economic inequities, fragmentation of policies, and misinformation as the principal challenges, and advocates for the need of participatory and culturally nuanced approaches for the alignment of global sustainability targets with local food systems. The paper finally outlines practical suggestions that focus on community integration, education, and the conservation of food heritage as the main avenues of supporting sustainable dietary transitions.
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Emerging Food Studies: Intersections of Culture, Science and Sustainability (ICEFS 2026)
Series: Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date: 30 June 2026
ISBN: 978-2-38476-583-6
ISSN: 2352-5398
DOI: 10.2991/978-2-38476-583-6_40 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

ris enw bib

TY  - CONF
AU  - Sonia Kaur Bansal
AU  - Kuldip Sharma
AU  - Krati Sharma
AU  - Garima Chauhan
AU  - Shruti Tiwari
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/30
TI  - The Social Narrative of Sustainable Eating and Its Cultural Challenges
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Emerging Food Studies: Intersections of Culture, Science and Sustainability (ICEFS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 493
EP  - 514
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-583-6_40
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-583-6_40
ID  - Bansal2026
ER  -

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