- Lalli, G., Smith, K., Woodside, J., Defeyter, G., Skafida, V., Morgan, K. … Martin, C. (2024). A brief review of Secondary School Food Policy (SSFP) approaches in the UK from 2010 to 2022. Nutrition & Food Science, 54(2), pp. 433–450. doi:10.1108/nfs-11-2023-0259.
- Smith, K., Wells, R. and Hawkes, C. (2022). How Primary School Curriculums in 11 Countries around the World Deliver Food Education and Address Food Literacy: A Policy Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), pp. 2019–2019. doi:10.3390/ijerph19042019.
Contact details
Address
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
United Kingdom
About
Overview
Kim Smith is a Master’s in Food Policy graduate with more than 25 years’ experience working across the UK food system. A passionate and lifelong food lover, she has diverse experience in a range of food sectors including product development for supermarkets, food service and food manufacturers, running farmers markets and food events, judging food awards, and most recently developing a curriculum-based primary food education programme. Her thesis explored food education in curriculums around the world, which she then published as a peer reviewed paper titled: Primary School Curriculums in 11 Countries around the World Deliver Food Education and Address Food Literacy: A Policy Analysis.
She is currently a PhD student developing this research further to examine how primary schools address food literacy in England, alongside her role as co-chair and trustee of TastEd, a charity bringing sensory food education to schools.
Qualifications
- MSc Food Policy, City, University of London, United Kingdom, Oct 2018 – Jun 2021
Employment
- Trusee and Co-Chair, TastEd, Jan 2020 – present
Publications
Publications by category
Internet publication
- Smith, K. (2024). My first conference: View from a PhD student. BERA.
Journal articles (2)
Professional activities
Event/conference
- London Student Sustainability Conference. (Conference) London, UK (2024). Invited speaker.
Paper: “...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” ― The role of food education in addressing sustainable development goals.
Author: Smith, K.
Description: School food education is one of the levers required to facilitate population transition to sustainable diets, but is not yet fully leveraged. A systematised literature review across different food education approaches revealed a highly heterogeneous body of research that is broad with a wide range of topics, but shallow with a small number of papers on each topic. Many common themes exist: a lack of sustainability education in food education research; a focus on child health outcomes; the role of stakeholders; issues in training and resources; and development in understanding of food education implementation. Findings highlight the need for research into comprehensive food education that supports transitions to sustainable diets and the issues that need to be addressed through food education policy.
Online articles (3)
- My first conference: View from a PhD student. (2024). BERA Experience of first time at an academic conference as PhD student.
- Food technology, home economics, cooking, or healthy eating? Making a case for the term ‘food literacy’. (2022). BERA Discussion of the food education terms.
- Kim Smith - Roots To Work: The Good Food Educator. Roots to Work Ellie Costigan chats with Kim Smith about how she began her career in food and what it’s like working for sensory food education initiative - TastEd.
Radio programme
- The school that food built. BBC World Serviec When chef Jamie Oliver launched a campaign to improve British school meals, it inspired one headteacher to take things much further. Listen - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1rfr
Charlton Manor Primary School, in south London, now grows its own produce, keeps bees and chickens, and has a restaurant aiming for a Michelin star. Head Tim Baker has also overhauled the teaching curriculum to put food centre stage - from learning about fair trade banana growers in geography lessons to slicing pizzas to help with fractions.
Tamasin Ford speaks to teachers and students to find out how they did it, and asks whether this could act as a model for how to teach our children about food's impact on our health and the planet.
Producer: Simon Tulett
If you would like to get in touch with the show please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Students Sarah and Vaidas in the garden at Charlton Manor Primary School)
Contributors:
Students at Charlton Manor Primary School;
Joe Grollman, teaching chef;
Nick Shelley, gardener;
Flavio Hernandez, head chef;
Tim Baker, headteacher;
Kim Smith, TastEd and City, University of London;