Abstract:  Food environments are the point of intersection where people engage with the food system. As such, they are a key consideration for food policy and governance in countries across the world. This collection of articles draws upon research conducted in a range of countries and predominantly, but not exclusively, urban settings. Research presented here expands on the way food environments have traditionally been explored in academic studies since the 1990s, introducing novel methodologies for assessment and incorporating the digital food environment, as well as food aid resources. Contemporary research must contend with the theoretical challenge of conceptualizing food environments in relation to wider social forces and changes. The more practical challenge is to inform improvements to neighbourhood food environments whilst avoiding the associated propensity to further perpetuate fragmented and short‐term responses to food inequalities.

Keywords:  digital food environment; food aid; food environment; food policy; food system

Published:   10 December 2025

Issue:   Vol 10 (2025): Understanding Change in Urban Food Environments: The Contemporary Challenges of Conceptualization, Definition, and Measurement