Towards healthy and sustainable food systems

Celia Burgaz

A transformation of food systems is urgently needed, given their contribution to three ongoing and interlinked global health pandemics: (1) food insecurity, (2) obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and (3) climate change and biodiversity loss. As policymakers make decisions that shape food systems, this study aimed to identify and prioritise policies with double- or triple-duty potential to achieve healthy diets from sustainable food systems (SFS).

Through a compilation of international policy recommendations, a scoping review and international experts’ consultation, this project has identified 44 policies based on their double- or triple-duty potential, synergies and trade-offs.

These policies have been mapped at the country and city levels in seven countries in Africa, and 56 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with policy stakeholders to identify potential barriers and facilitators to the development and implementation of these policies.

Claire Dénos

To reduce the burdens from the food system, a shift towards environmentally sustainable and healthy diets is needed. The SUSFOODBEL project seeks to identify key policies influencing food environment (i.e. the interface where people interact with the wider food system to acquire and consume foods) and establish dietary scenarios that promote sustainable, healthy diets.

The project will measure multiple sustainability impacts of transitioning from current diets to sustainable healthy diets, as well as the contributions of the identified priority policies and dietary trajectory scenarios to realize such a transition.

The impact evaluation includes environmental impact assessment through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and health impact assessment through the burden of disease framework.

 

A large part of the seminar will be devoted to a discussion with the participants