COVID-19: impact on the urban food retail system and dietary inequalities in the UK

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ABSTRACT

COVID-19 has focused minds on the resilience of the urban food retail system in supplying adequate food to the whole population. In this commentary, we discuss the impacts on diet of four plausible changes to food retailing in the UK: relocalisation of the food retail system, accelerated uptake of digital grocery, restructuring of fast-food environment and impacts on food banking and emergency food aid. We finish by outlining the challenge for research, policy and planning.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• diet
• health inequalities
• planning
• food

Disclosure statement

All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, there are no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

Nicolas Berger, Laura Cornelsen, Cherry Law are supported by a UK Medical Research Council Career Development Award to Laura Cornelsen. Robert Greener is supported by an MRC Studentship. Alexandra Kalbus is supported by a Bloomsbury Studentship. Amanda Karapici and Denise Ndlovu are supported by NIHR Doctoral Studentships.

Notes on contributors

Steven Cummins

The Population Health Innovation Lab is based in the Faculty of Public Health & Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. We use insights from epidemiology, economics, sociology and geography to understand and change the social, economic and environmental system drivers of population health. The team has particular expertise in diet and physical activity and are using findings from our research to test and evaluate policies and interventions that have the potential to improve urban health at the population level.