Advancing Food Well-Being in Poverty Through Intersectionality

Abstract

This article explores the importance of employing intersectionality when investigating food well-being (FWB) in poverty framework. We argue that this approach provides a more nuanced and realistic lens for both marketers and policy makers when developing FWB strategies in the context of poverty. To this end, this article focuses on the intersection of ethnicity and gender to examine food consumption practices of two groups of women living in poverty in Bangladesh. Specifically, the research design uses semi-structured interviews with 16 Santal (ethnic minority) and 14 Muslim (ethnic majority) women to explore commonalities and differences in their consumption experiences. The findings provide new insights into how marketers and policy makers can engage with diverse ethnic communities to enhance their FWB. This article contributes to the FWB literature by introducing intersectionality as a mechanism to uncover differences in advantage and disadvantage based on overlapping categories of ethnicity, gender, and class. Implications for marketers and policy makers include (a) developing food policies that pay attention and respect to cultural norms and sociohistorical experiences, (b) creating and shaping social networks, (c) investing in infrastructure and utilities that prioritize ethnic minorities, and (d) seeking out jugaad (frugal) innovations.