Sustainability – what on earth does it have to do with food?
‘Sustainability’ has been a trending word for many years now, and this is more relevant than ever, with recent reports stating we are non on track to hit global nutrition targets for 2025 endorsed by the World Health Organisation or the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But what exactly is sustainable nutrition, and what does this mean for consumers?
Sustainable Nutrition is defined as the ability of a food system to provide essential nutrients and sufficient energy to maintain good health of the population, whilst also not compromising on future generation’s nutritional needs (A Path from Sustainable Nutrition to Nutritional Sustainability of Complex Food Systems). This links into the concept of sustainable diets, which are diets with low environmental impacts, which also provide healthful nutrition and nutrition security whilst being protective of ecosystems and biodiversity, are culturally acceptable, economically viable, and optimise natural resources (FAO, 2010, Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity).
There are four main aspects of sustainable diets:
- Health and Nutrition
- Environment
- Economic
- Socio-Cultural
Keep an eye out for out mini-series on sustainable nutrition, with articles on each of the above topics.
