Martin Caraher

Title: Reader in Food and Health Policy

Room: C310

Tel: +44 (0)20 7040 4161

Biography

Martin is Reader in food and health policy at the dept of Health Management and Food Policy at City University. He originally trained as an environmental health officer in Dublin. After working in the north west of Ireland he developed an interest in the public health and health promotion aspects of the work. He completed his masters and doctorate in London, since 1990 he has been working with Prof Tim Lang on aspects of food policy,

He has worked extensively on issues related to food poverty, cooking skills, local sustainable food supplies, the role of markets and co-ops in promoting health, farmers markets, food deserts & food access, retail concentration and globalisation.

Current research interests include:

The role of local food projects in promoting health.
Local area access to food in London with work in the boroughs of Hackney and Islington.
A review of food projects funded and supported by health authorities in England.
An evaluation of local food projects in London.
A review of the planning process nation wide in promoting food projects.
Cooking skills among young people and the changing nature of food skills and the culinary transition.
The role of food markets in promoting health and well-being.
Farmers markets and new selling spaces.

Recent work has focused on the impact of food advertising on children?s food choices and the impact of advertising regulation. In addition he has been developing work in schools and this has included work for the UK Dept of Health, the World Health Organization (Europe) on school feeding programmes in Latvia and for the World Bank on school food in Lesotho. He has been in contact with colleagues in Australia in the Coalition on Food Advertising to Children, sharing ideas and resources. His interests in sustainability come from the perspective of local food chains and the attempts by social enterprises to build sustainability into their work.

Martin and Tim Lang have contributed to books on public health and health promotion, including a chapter on international public health in the Oxford Handbook of Public Health. Along with colleagues in the department he is in contact with a wide range of international academic colleagues and current work included work with colleagues in Australia, Portugal, France, the US and Canada.

He has worked for and acted as a consultant to the UK Dept of Health, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation. Among his recent publications is an article with John Coveney, Associate Prof from Flinders University on global aspects of food policy.

He sits on the London Food Board which advises the Mayor on food in London and the South East Food and Public Health Group. He is also an Associate Member of the National Heart Forum. He also advises and reviews materials and plans for a range of local and statutory organisations dealing with food. He chaired the National Primary Care Team Community Food Access programme. Martin regularly reviews for a wide range of journals and organisations ranging from Public Health Nutrition to Social Science and Medicine.

He is a trustee of the Caroline Walker trust. He regularly appears on TV and radio in relation to food issues.

Some relevant publications

Lang ,T. and Caraher, M. (1998). Food poverty and shopping deserts: What are the implications for health promotion policy and practice. Health Education Journal, 58; (3).
Caraher, M., Dixon, P., Lang, T. and Carr-Hill, R. (1998). Barriers to accessing healthy foods: differentials by gender, social class, income and mode of transport. Health Education Journal, 57; (3), 191-201.
Caraher, M., Lang, T., Dixon, P. and Carr-Hill, R. (1999). The state of cooking in England: The relationship of cooking skills to food choice. British Food Journal, 101; (8), 590-609.
Caraher, M., Lang, T. and Dixon, P. (2000). The influence of TV and Celebrity Chefs on public attitudes and behaviour among the English public. Association for the Study of Food in Society Journal. 4; (1), 27-46.
Robinson, N., Caraher, M. and Lang, T. (2000). Access to shops; the views of low income shoppers Health Education Journal, 59; (2), 121-136.
Lang, T. and Caraher, M. (2001). Is there a culinary skills transition?: data and debate from the UK about changes in cooking culture. Journal of the Home Economics Institute of Australia, 8; (2), 2-14
Barling, D Lang T, and Caraher M (2002) Food, Social Policy and the Environment: Towards new Model. In Cahill M, and Fitzpatrick T, (eds) Environmental Issues and Social Welfare. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
Dowler E, Caraher M. (2003) Local Food Projects: the New Philanthropy? Political Quarterly, 74; (1), 57-65.
Hastings G, Stead M, McDermott L, Forsyth A, MacKintosh A, Rayner M, Godfrey, C, Caraher M, Angus K. (2003) Review of the research on the effects of food promotion to children. 2003. Glasgow: Centre for Social Marketing.
Caraher, M. (2003) TV advertising and children: A policy analysis. Prepared for the Food Standards Agency.
Caraher M, Coveney J (2004) Public health nutrition and food policy Public Health Nutrition: 7; (5), 591?598.
Caraher M. Baker H.; Burns M. (2004) Children's views of cooking and food preparation. British Food Journal, 1 April 2004, 106, (4), 255-273.
Stead M.; Caraher M.; Wrieden W.; Longbottom P.; Valentine K.; Anderson A. (2004) Confident, fearful and hopeless cooks: Findings from the development of a food-skills initiative British Food Journal, 1 April 2004, 106; (40), 274-287.
Caraher M, Cowburn G (2004) A survey of food projects in the English NHS regions. Health Education Journal, 63; (3), 197-219
Caraher M, Coveney J, Lang T. (2005) Food, Health and Globalisation: Is Health Promotion Still Relevant? In Scriven A; Garman S Promoting Health: Global Perspectives. London, Palgrave Macmillan, 90-105
Davis L and Caraher, M, (2004). Report on Dudley food projects: Local food markets and supply in selected Neighbourhood Management areas in Dudley. Dudley; Dudley Beacon & Castle Primary Care
Caraher, M., & Cowburn G. (2005). Taxing food: implications for public health nutrition. Public Health Nutrition, 8, (8), 1242?1249.
Davis L, Caraher M and Measures M (2005) Growing a Healthy Food Economy: Linking Producers with Public Sector Purchasers. Hereford: Bulmer Foundation
Caraher, M. and Reynolds, J. (2005). Lessons for home economics pedagogy and practice. Journal of the Home Economics Institute of Australia, 12, (2), 2-15.
Davis L and Caraher, M. (2006) Evaluation of the Islington Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Staying alive Project 2004-2006. Final report, June 2006. London: City University.
Davis L; Barry V and Caraher M, (2006) Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 'Eatwell in Sandwell' 2004-6: Successes, challenges, learning outcomes and opportunities. Final Evaluation Report June 2006. Oxford; Ital Associates.
Caraher, M., & Landon, J. (2006) The Impact of Advertising on Food Choice: The Social Context of Advertising. In R. Shepherd, & M. Ratts (Eds.), The Psychology of Food Choice (pp. 227-245). Wallingford, Oxfordshire; CABI.
Caraher, M., Landon. J., and Dalmeny, K, (2006). TV advertising and children: Lessons from policy development. Public Health Nutrition, 9, (5), 596-605
Lang T and Caraher M (2006.) Global Public Health. In Pencheon D, Guest C, Melzer D and Muir Gray JA Oxford Handbook of Public Health Practice (pp 364-371). Oxford, Oxford University Press