COwWEL

A OneWelfare approach studying food vulnerability. 

The project "COwWEL" examines, together with citizen scientists from socio-economically disadvantaged groups, conditions that promote or hinder healthy and sustainable consumption behaviour in these groups, taking into account attitudes toward animals and their welfare. The goal is to develop strategies and information material to promote fairer and more sustainable food systems.

What are the aims of the project?

• Evaluation of conditions that promote or hinder the establishment of healthy and sustainable eating practices for vulnerable groups
• Investigation of the role of concepts of human-animal relationships and the welfare of humans and animals (One Welfare).
• Development of individual and political strategies to promote healthy and sustainable food consumption and creation of supporting materials.
• Contribution to the development of healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable food systems through integration into the main project COwLEARNING.

How can you participate in research?

The target group consists of citizens from three vulnerable groups: Syrians or other people of Arab descent, Ukrainians, and Austrians who have received food from food banks in the last five years. In an initial workshop, hypotheses will be developed together, forming the basis for the creation of a questionnaire. After the questionnaire is created, reviewed, and the citizen scientists are trained in interviewing, data collection will take place (i.e., interviewing individuals from the respective vulnerable groups). Following data analysis by the scientific team, individual, societal, and political strategies for sustainable food consumption in vulnerable groups will be developed in a second workshop together with institutions.