Approximately 70% of Europe's population resides in urban areas, where they have access to food from major chain supermarkets, local independent markets, cafes, restaurants, schools, and other establishments [1]. Nevertheless, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic highlights the susceptibility of global food systems, underscoring the crucial need to address food security, resilience, and sustainability. The 'Farm to Fork Strategy' emphasises the pressing necessity for measures to guarantee food sustainability throughout these systems [2].
The global food system significantly affects the environment through its substantial influence on climate change and biodiversity [3]. Moreover, food plays a crucial role in human existence, and adopting a nutritious diet can aid in decreasing malnutrition, thereby lowering the risk of diet-related noncommunicable diseases and ailments [4]. Nonetheless, a significant issue arises when the food environment fails to encourage individuals to opt for healthy choices, potentially contributing to the low adherence to the UK's national dietary guidelines [5].
Public health nutrition policy is a successful strategy for enhancing well-being and addressing diet-related concerns, like tackling the obesity epidemic. The European food and nutrition action plan serves as a pertinent illustration of such a public health policy [6]. The aim was to greatly decrease noncommunicable diseases linked to diet and all types of malnutrition, with a particular emphasis on addressing obesity. Key measures were implemented to enhance the food system and enhance the quality of people's diets and nutritional well-being in order to reach these goals.
A food plan was established for Wales, titled "Food for Wales, Food from Wales," with the aim of expanding the Welsh food sector from 2010 to 2020 [7]. Their primary objectives were to enhance food sustainability, boost the food economy in Wales, and ensure the availability of safe, affordable, and nutritious food for the populace. They analyzed consumer demand trends and highlighted shifts in food preferences from 2006 to 2009. Their findings indicated that while food prices play a significant role in food choices, there is a growing trend towards supporting local food systems and sustainable options. Consumers are increasingly informed about the food supply chain, with the COVID-19 food crisis serving as a wake-up call regarding global food sustainability. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promoting sustainable diets and nutrition is a top priority on the global political agenda. It is essential for individuals to recognize the impact of their food choices not only on their health but also on the environment, such as ecosystem depletion, and climate, including greenhouse gas emissions [8].
As a nutritionist, I believe that I have an important role in providing knowledge to clients and the general public on combining healthy eating messages and environmentally sustainable dietary advice. I support individuals in recognizing that diets can be environmentally sustainable, healthy, and affordable. Everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious, and high-quality foods. I believe that more work is needed, especially by the government, to make this a reality. This includes government support in creating action plans in specific areas or counties:
Actions for promoting sustainable diets and nutrition, such as free community workshops, school gardening, and cooking projects.
Actions for improving social and economic equity, such as promoting and improving local food banks, creating healthy food environments schemes in schools and workplaces, supporting community food co-operatives, and surplus food schemes.
Actions for improving local food production, such as promoting local fruit and vegetable box schemes and encouraging pop-up fruit and veg stalls selling local produce.
Actions to improve local food supply and distribution, such as empowering local food businesses (i.e. restaurants and cafes) to support local food suppliers, offering support to improve storage, processing, transport, and distribution, and promoting sustainable farming schemes.
Actions to reduce food waste, such as Towards Zero Waste training courses for local businesses and educating businesses and individuals in the community on reducing waste.
References:
Foodlinks. (2013). Urban food strategies: The rough guide to sustainable food systems. Retrieved from https://orgprints.org/28860/1/foodlinks-Urban_food_strategies.pdf
EU Commissions. (2020). Farm to fork strategy: For a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system.Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/f2f_action-plan_2020_strategy-info_en.pdf
Riley, H., & Buttriss, J. L. (2011). A UK public health perspective: what is a healthy sustainable diet?. Nutrition Bulletin, 36(4), 426-431. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-3010.2011.01931.x
World Health Organization. (2019). Healthy diet. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/325828/EMROPUB_2019_en_23536.pdf
The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition. (2017). Nutrition and food systems. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7846e.pdf
Welsh Government. (2015). Welsh Health Survey: Health status, illnesses, and other conditions. Retrieved from https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2019-02/160622-welsh-health-survey-2015-health-status-illnesses-other-conditions-en.pdf
Welsh Government. (2010a). Food for Wales, Food from Wales 2010|2020: Food strategy for Wales. Retrieved from https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-05/food-strategy-for-wales-2010-to-2020.pdf
Alsaffar, A. A. (2016). Sustainable diets: The interaction between food industry, nutrition, health and the environment. Food Science and Technology International, 22(2), 102-111. doi: 10.1177/1082013215572029
Comentários