Case Studies

These case studies are examples of existing work integrating sustainability and nutrition in practice. We share them in the hope that they inspire you in your efforts to apply sustainability to dietetic practice and enable peer-to-peer learning around practical challenges and successes. We hope that they help contextualize the application of sustainability through regionally- and culturally-relevant examples.

Each case study shares the story of a particular initiative, program, document, or organization from various parts of the world, highlighting key learnings and takeaways. Contact information for organizations or people is included in each case—please use this to initiate direct contact, discuss specific issues and opportunities, and deepen your learning.

🖨️ New in 2025: Each case study has been updated and now has a downloadable PDF  so that you can print them for events or classes, or download them and share them electronically.

ICDA members who participated in the Delphi-inquiry research provided the foundation for this toolkit. They identified specific barriers that Dietitians-Nutritionists face in integrating sustainability.

Each case study is tagged to indicate which of these specific barriers it addresses to help you identify cases that are most relevant to your particular situation.

  1. Profits as priority
  2. Food safety
  3. Industrialized, capitalist systems
  4. Food prices
  5. Environmental degradation
  6. Professional culture and change
  7. Finding common ground

Submit your case study using this template:


Chef Rodrigo Pacheco’s Biodiverse Edible Forest and Bocavaldivia (Ecuador)

FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Ecuador

Jul 2025

AgricultureCommunityFoodservicePublic Health
Menu ChangePersonal Knowledge DevelopmentPolicy Change
Environmental DegradationLack of Support in the Professional CultureProfits as Priority

Agroecology Case Studies

Nutrition is integral to Agroecology

Jul 2025

AdministrationAgricultureCommunityFoodserviceHealthcarePublic Health
EducationMenu ChangePersonal Knowledge DevelopmentPolicy ChangeProgramming
Environmental DegradationFood PricesFood SafetyIndustrialized, Capitalist SystemsLack of Infrastructure

Food + Planet SFS Case Studies

Including one from the ICDA SFS Toolkit!

Jul 2025

AdministrationAgricultureCommunityDietetic EducatorFoodserviceHealthcareNutrition carePublic HealthResearch
Competency DevelopmentEducationMenu ChangePersonal Knowledge DevelopmentPolicy ChangeProgrammingResearch
Environmental DegradationFinding Common GroundFood PricesFood SafetyIndustrialized, Capitalist SystemsLack of InfrastructureLack of Support in the Professional CultureProfits as Priority

NeverEndingFood Permaculture, Malawi (2025)

Using a Permaculture Approach to Nutrition and Community Wellness in Malawi

Jul 2025

AgricultureCommunityPublic Health
EducationPolicy ChangeProgramming
Environmental DegradationFood PricesIndustrialized, Capitalist Systems

Sustainable Collaboration: University College Dublin and Airfield Estate, Dublin, Ireland (2025)

Enabling student training & research relevant to sustainable food systems

Jul 2025

AgricultureCommunityDietetic Educator
EducationResearch
Environmental DegradationIndustrialized, Capitalist Systems

German Example on Integrating Sustainability in Dietetic Courses (2025)

Students experience increase in drive, confidence, and responsibility

Jul 2025

Dietetic Educator
EducationResearch
Lack of Support in the Professional Culture

Addressing Food Waste at University College Dublin, Ireland (2025)

Departmental partnerships to turn waste into wealth

Jul 2025

AdministrationDietetic EducatorFoodservice
Education
Lack of InfrastructureLack of Support in the Professional Culture

Red-Listed Seafood (2025)

Removing Red-Listed Seafood in Acadia University's Wheelock Dining Hall

Jul 2025

AdministrationDietetic EducatorFoodservice
EducationMenu ChangePolicy Change
Environmental DegradationIndustrialized, Capitalist SystemsLack of InfrastructureLack of Support in the Professional Culture

Reducing Food Waste with Recovering Drug Addicts in Germany (2025)

Utilizing "Imperfect" Produce from Distributors in Germany

Jul 2025

CommunityPublic Health
Menu ChangePolicy ChangeProgramming
Food PricesProfits as Priority

Gardening & Nutrition Education in a Speech & Hearing Impaired School – Chennai India (2025)

Supporting Food Sovereignty Through Nutrition Education of the Speech & Hearing Impaired

Jul 2025

CommunityPublic Health
EducationProgramming
Lack of Infrastructure

Food Sustainability and Nutrition in Violence Prevention in Jamaica (2025)

Supporting Food Security and Sustainability in Jamaican Youth Violence Prevention

Jul 2025

CommunityFoodservicePublic Health
Menu ChangePolicy ChangeProgramming
Food PricesLack of Support in the Professional Culture

SecondBite, Austrailia (2025)

Using Surplus Food as an Opportunity to Reduce Hunger and Waste

Jul 2025

CommunityFoodservicePublic Health
Policy ChangeProgramming
Food PricesFood Safety

Community Kitchens: Responding to Crisis in South African Township: Community innovation for nutritious food in the time of COVID-19 (2025)

Creating opportunity to impact food security during a pandemic in a South African township

Jul 2025

CommunityFoodservicePublic Health
Menu ChangePolicy ChangeProgramming
Food SafetyLack of InfrastructureLack of Support in the Professional Culture

SFS Education in Nutrition & Dietetics degrees: Global Case Studies (2025)

International Dietetic educators integrating sustainability into their curricula.

Jul 2025

Dietetic Educator
Education
Finding Common GroundLack of Support in the Professional Culture

Reviving Traditional Grain Production and Consumption in India (2025)

Opportunities to integrate sustainability, health and rural economic development in India

Jul 2025

AgricultureCommunityFoodserviceNutrition carePublic Health
Menu ChangePolicy Change
Environmental DegradationFood PricesIndustrialized, Capitalist SystemsLack of InfrastructureProfits as Priority

SPP, Small Producers (2025)

Incorporating Social Sustainability and the Role of Certifications

Jul 2025

Dietetic EducatorFoodservice
Menu ChangePolicy Change
Food PricesIndustrialized, Capitalist Systems

National School Lunch Program in Japan (2025)

Building Skills and Habits for Healthy and Sustainable Eating in Childhood in Japan

Jul 2025

AdministrationCommunityPublic Health
Policy ChangeProgramming
Finding Common GroundFood Prices

Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (2025)

Integrating Sustainability, Traditional Diets, and Cultural Wisdom into National Dietary Guidelines

Jul 2025

CommunityFoodservicePublic Health
Policy Change
Industrialized, Capitalist SystemsProfits as Priority
The ICDA SFS Toolkit is made to be used & shared freely.
Please cite the authors of the resources you use
, and the ICDA SFS Toolkit if you are able:
InternationalDietetics.org/Sustainability

page updated 2025 May