Théorie du changement - EN

The rigorous reflections undertaken in the context of strategic planning and strategic clarity have enabled us to put into words a theory of change based on the development of a targeted problem (theory of the problem) and response actions (theory of the solution).

Fondation Olo’s impact and logic model are based on the understanding that there are food inequalities associated with 3 major barriers to healthy eating that explain why some families are unable to offer their little ones an optimal diet:

• Access to enough healthy, nutritious and varied foods
• Nutritional knowledge and cooking skills
• Capacity for action of families, leading to a positive modification of eating habits

The immediate effect of food inequalities is a suboptimal diet, defined as insufficient or inadequate dietary intakes which are aggravated when the food skills of parents are limited during the first 1,000 days of their children’s lives. 

The repercussions of food inequalities are all the more serious in the long term if they are experienced during the first 1,000 days of life. As UNICEF points out, brain activity during this period is so intense that between 50% and 75% of the food consumed by infants is used to supply energy to the brain. Knowing this, it’s easy to understand why an insufficient or inadequate diet can lead to growth and developmental delays.

The impact is likely to affect all aspects of development: physical and motor, language, cognitive, emotional and social. The social costs, both in terms of health services and school dropout rates, can be colossal, in addition to perpetuating the cycle of inequalities over several generations.

While the previous argument emphasizes the importance of nutrients in brain development, we must not forget that the struggle for a sufficient and adequate food intake is a daily reality that generates anxiety and is likely to affect the mental health of parents as well as their energy levels.  

For these reasons, food inequalities can have significant immediate consequences, which in turn have other medium- or long-term repercussions on development, particularly in relation to numerous health status indicators and school success.

A cycle to break

On the one hand, the analysis of the problem’s determinants, and therefore of each of the barriers, highlights the influence of social inequalities (education, income, etc.). On the other hand, the repercussions of the problem on children (i.e., poorer long-term health and compromised school success) predispose them to lower levels of education and lower income.

These findings reveal a cycle that could be broken by acting during the first 1,000 days.