Nutrition and sustainability: an emerging food policy discourse

TLDR

Food systems have a significant environmental impact, yet mapping and analyzing emerging nutrition‑sustainability policies has received limited attention, and the fragmented nature of nutrition science complicates addressing these challenges. The study aims to map emerging nutrition‑sustainability policies, examine integration challenges, and advocate revising nutrition policy advice toward sustainable diet guidance at national and international levels. The authors review emerging nutrition‑sustainability policy developments and outline policy thinking at national, European, and international governance levels. The analysis identifies policy hotspots in meat and dairy, sustainable diets, and waste, highlights the necessity of integrating life‑science, social, and environmental perspectives for effective policy engagement, and underscores opportunities for nutrition science to take a central role in future food‑system policy analysis.

Abstract

It is well known that food has a considerable environmental impact. Less attention has been given to mapping and analysing the emergence of policy responses. This paper contributes to that process. It summarises emerging policy development on nutrition and sustainability, and explores difficulties in their integration. The paper describes some policy thinking at national, European and international levels of governance. It points to the existence of particular policy hotspots such as meat and dairy, sustainable diets and waste. Understanding the environmental impact of food systems challenges nutrition science to draw upon traditions of thinking which have recently been fragmented. These perspectives (life sciences, social and environmental) are all required if policy engagement and clarification is to occur. Sustainability issues offer opportunities for nutrition science and scientists to play a more central role in the policy analysis of future food systems. The task of revising current nutrition policy advice to become sustainable diet advice needs to begin at national and international levels.