Reports – Sustainability

What factors influence sustainable and healthy diet consumption? A review and synthesis of literature within the university setting and beyond (2024)

Elliott, P. S., Devine, L. D., Gibney, E. R., & O’Sullivan, A. M. (2024). What factors influence sustainable and healthy diet consumption? A review and synthesis of literature within the university setting and beyond. Nutrition Research, 103, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.004

Highlights
• We identified factors that may influence sustainable and healthy diet consumption.
• Using a novel scoring system, these factors were then ranked by priority.
• The scoring system identified high-priority factors to target in future research.
• Most high-priority factors were at the environmental level (e.g., product price).
• These findings can inform the development of future personalized interventions.

Abstract
Globally, typical dietary patterns are neither healthy nor sustainable. Recognizing the key role of dietary change in reducing noncommunicable disease risk and addressing environmental degradation, it is crucial to understand how to shift individuals toward a sustainable and healthy diet (SHD).

In this literature review, we introduced the concept of SHD and outlined the dietary behaviors necessary to transition toward SHD consumption; we reviewed the literature on factors that may influence sustainable (and unsustainable) dietary behaviors in adults; and we developed a novel scoring system to rank factors by priority for targeting in future research. Given the significant potential to promote an SHD transition on the university campus—where factors that may impact dietary behaviors can be targeted at all levels of influence (i.e., individual, interpersonal, environmental, policy)—we narrowed our focus to this setting throughout.

Aided by our novel scoring system, we identified conscious habitual eating, product price, food availability/accessibility, product convenience, self-regulation skills, knowledge of animal ethics/welfare, food promotion, and eating norms as important modifiable factors that may influence university students’ dietary behaviors. When scored without consideration for the university population, these factors were also ranked as the highest priority, as were modified portion sizes.

Our findings offer insight into factors that may warrant attention in future research aimed at promoting SHDs. In particular, the high-priority factors identified from our synthesis of the literature could help guide the development of more personalized dietary behavioral interventions within the university setting and beyond.

Drivers of the food system based on food sovereignty domains: an integrative systematic literature review (2024)

Rivera, I., Díaz de León, D., & Pérez-Salazar, M. del R. (2024). Drivers of the food system based on food sovereignty domains: An integrative systematic literature review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1450321

Abstract

Food sovereignty, as defined by the comprehensive definition offered in the 2007 Nyéléni Forum, encompasses essential action lines for transforming a food system based on food sovereignty principles. Understanding how current food system initiatives align with these principles is essential for identifying the necessary processes of change to drive this transformation. This study aimed to consolidate the contributions of advancements in food sovereignty to the existing literature.

A systematic literature review was conducted to achieve this, analyzing 250 papers published between 2008 and 2023. The focus was on the research methods employed by the authors, food initiatives within the domains of food sovereignty, and the key drivers of a food system rooted in food sovereignty principles.

The findings revealed that approximately 36% of the studies utilized interviews, surveys, and questionnaires for data collection, while 34% concentrated on targeted fieldwork through case studies. Around 19% of the studies involved in-depth interaction with specific groups, and just under 10% employed document analysis methods. The most extensively discussed domain was the use of agroecological management practices for food production, followed by the valuation of traditional knowledge, the promotion of social justice and equity, self-determination through the transformation of economic and political institutions, and the localization of food production and consumption.

The food initiatives outlined overarching goals within each domain of food sovereignty, with three common goals identified across these domains: food security and consumption, environmental stewardship, and crisis preparedness. Furthermore, 29 drivers of a food system based on the domains of food sovereignty were identified, encompassing networks and a holistic approach present in all 5 domains. The study also highlights the implications for supporters of food sovereignty within the context of the identified goals of the food initiatives.

Values-based food systems: the role of local food partnerships in England (2024)

Jackson, P., Yap, C., Parsons, K. et al. Values-based food systems: the role of local food partnerships in England. Agric Hum Values (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-024-10670-4 (open access)

Abstract

This paper outlines the concept of values-based food systems building on the related idea of values-based food chains (VBFCs), terms which are definitionally diffuse, but which cohere around a common commitment to environmental sustainability and social justice. The paper examines the development of four multi-stakeholder local food partnerships in Birmingham, Bristol, Rotherham, and Sheffield—and the national Sustainable Food Places network to which they are affiliated.

Based on our collaborative research with these organizations and a review of their public statements, the paper identifies the values that guide their work. The paper then draws on the evidence of a series of workshops, which revealed some of the challenges the partnerships face as they seek to put their values into practice, focusing on governance issues (and related funding challenges) and the implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion policies.

Our findings show that the partnerships’ work is consistent with the concept of values-based food systems though they do not use the term themselves. Our research also shows the range of work being undertaken by these local food partnerships with much in common but also some significant divergence in their activities. The paper concludes with some reflections about scale and the differences between our English case studies and earlier work on VBFCs in the US.

The SALSA Questionnaire: creation and validation of a tool to assess people’s self-perceived barriers and facilitators to follow a sustainable and healthy diet (2025 Feb)

Muñoz-Martínez, J., Cañete-Massé, C., Cussó-Parcerisas, I. et al. The SALSA Questionnaire: creation and validation of a tool to assess people’s self-perceived barriers and facilitators to follow a sustainable and healthy diet. Environ Dev Sustain (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-05954-y (open access)

This work was partially supported by an ICDA SFS Toolkit grant. You can read more under ‘Spain’ on the NDA SFS Grant page.

*From the Article: Table 2 Results from the Exploratory Factor Analysis with sample A (n = 207), including factor loadings, eigenvalues, and percentage of variance*

Abstract:

A transition towards a sustainable and healthy diet (SHD) is crucial for both population and planetary health. However, changing consumer’s behaviour is challenging due to the many factors influencing food choices. Tools that comprehensively assess these factors are paramount, yet none are available in Spain. Hence, we created and validated the SALSA questionnaire to capture self-perceived barriers and facilitators for SHD.

The process involved three phases:
— First, item development combining insights from a scoping review and content validity with experts (n = 9) and the target population (n = 38);
— Second, scale development by pre-testing the questionnaire (n = 4), administering it through an online survey to two samples(Dimensionality-Sample, n = 516; Reliability-Sample, n = 61), and applying exploratory factor analysis for factors extraction and item reduction;
— Third, scale evaluation by testing its dimensionality through confirmatory factor analysis, its reliability through Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega, and intra-class correlation coefficient, and construct validity through discriminant validity, convergent validity, and correlation analysis.

Results yielded a questionnaire with 27 items grouped into four dimensions: personal factors, sociocultural factors, external factors, and meat and plant-based meat alternatives. The psychometric analysis revealed that the SALSA questionnaire is a reliable instrument to identify behavioural determinants.

The Nyéléni Global Forum (2025)

The world is in unprecedented turmoil, and we are all facing deep-rooted overlapping crises. We need a paradigm shift to reclaim the right to shape our own food systems for the well-being of people and the planet.

Launched in 1996 at the World Food Summit, food sovereignty promotes a people-focused approach to food systems, prioritizing locally produced, stable, healthy, and affordable food over dependence on global markets and neoliberal policies.

The International Nyéléni Forum in Mali (2007) established this vision as a global standard, uniting movements and organizations dedicated to food sovereignty and social justice. In 2015, the Nyéléni International Forum on Agroecology reinforced this, placing peasant, indigenous, family agroecology at the centre of a strategy for addressing climate and biodiversity crises.

That is why the Nyéléni Global Forum are calling for a new mobilization within and beyond the food sovereignty movement, to build our response at both global and local levels, and tighten alliances with climate justice, antiracism, health, labour, feminist, and social and solidarity economy movements and organisations. Through a multi-year process, they’ve brought together thousands of grassroots organizations and other allies across six world regions, to discuss and put forward joint proposals for a system change and a strong political agenda for the years to come.

The Nyéléni Global Forum, to be held in 2025 in India, will be the space for strategy and organization, and to kick off this new phase of the food sovereignty movement.

These can be ideal spaces for D-Ns to get involved with either during or between events in Food Councils or other collaborations. Click through to find the organizations near you who are involved.

Open Food Network (website)

The Open Food Network (OFN) is a global network of people and organisations working together to build a new food system. OFN believes a sustainable and resilient food system needs to reconnect producers and consumers.

Together OFN members develop open and shared resources, knowledge, and software to support a better food system. They aim to empower people and communities and give them the tools and knowledge to develop the food systems they need to build new food systems for their community.

OFN has many case studies on their website. They highlight some of the over 847 amazing food enterprises selling on their platform. The case studies go deeper to know more about them – their stories, how they do things, what they care about, and how they make localised food systems happen in their communities.

2025 January

Global Roots (website)

Global Roots promotes regenerative, equitable, and nutritious plant-based food systems by modeling agricultural conservation projects, partnering with organizations around the world to implement whole systems change, and providing on-the-ground education programs. They are based in the USA* and the Dominican Republic** in partnership with the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and are exploring other expansion areas. By recognizing the overlap between nutrition for personal and planetary health, we can drastically improve global health standards while simultaneously reducing agricultural land use requirements paving the way for increased conservation.

Objectives:

Expand the practice of agriculture as a form of conservation, life-enhancement, and regeneration to areas around the world.
Provide education opportunities on how to transition consolidated, top-down food systems to community-owned land trusts and regenerative land practices.
Demonstrate through model programs how transitioning inefficiently used farmland from speculative markets to locally-owned land initiatives increases healthy food options, employment opportunities, and resilient communities of health.
Increase peer-to-peer networking and coalition building through the Whole-Communities platform.
Provide technical support to promote regenerative, equitable, and nutritious plant-based food systems.

* The Brightside Farm and Nursery in the USA is the home of Global Roots. The farm is located outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina in growing zone 8a and covers an area of 2.5 acres hosting the nursery, mixed vegetable production, and orchard. Operations of the farm and nursery are governed by the Global Roots staff and board of directors.

** The RAICES Institute education center is located in the Dominican Republic in the province of Las Hermanas Mirabal, north of Salcedo in the village of La Cumbre. The center is owned and operated by RAICES Global with program support from Global Roots and the T. Colin Campbell center for Nutrition Studies. The center hosts education programs and aims to establish plant-based communal food hubs.

2025 January

Serving hope: rethinking school meal programs in Latin America (2024)

López, D. S., Gamba, M., & Uriza-Pinzón, J. (2024). Serving hope: Rethinking school meal programs in Latin America. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 36, Article 100818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2024.100818

Fig. 1 School meal programs in Latin America.

This article is a commentary providing a good overview and links to improving school meals programs, including issues to foster and educate on Sustainable Food Systems.

Snippets from the Article: “To bolster the effectiveness of school food programs in LAC it’s imperative to adopt innovative strategies. The above involves integrating nutritional education into the school curriculum, establishing sustainable school farms with local products, and incorporating gastronomy into SMP to enhance menu acceptance and reduce food waste. Community involvement ensures cultural relevance and supports local farmers, while technological solutions aid in addressing socioeconomic disparities, infrastructure, and logistics, facilitating better monitoring and data-driven decision-making. Moreover, long-term initiatives for enhancing school food programs should focus on aligning policies, raising awareness, capacity building, and conducting research and evaluation.”

“Fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeting hunger mitigation and universal food access within the framework of SMPs is crucial for global well-being. Enhancing quality and coverage in SMP across LAC is essential, requiring concerted efforts to improve nutrition, promote sustainable development, and advance global health.”

2025 January

Sustainable healthy diets: guiding principles (2019)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly held an international expert consultation on Sustainable and Healthy Diets from 1 to 3 July 2019 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Consultation agreed on guiding principles for what constitutes “Sustainable Healthy Diets”, which comes when the debate around the sustainability of diets is high on the agenda of governments, international organisations, civil society organisations, the private sector and academia.

Considering the detrimental environmental impact of current food systems, and the concerns raised about their sustainability, there is an urgent need to promote diets that are healthy and have low environmental impacts. These diets also need to be socio-culturally acceptable and economically accessible for all.

These guiding principles take a holistic approach to diets; they consider international nutrition recommendations; the environmental cost of food production and consumption; and the adaptability to local social, cultural and economic contexts. At the consultation, the experts agreed on the term “Sustainable Healthy Diets” which encompasses the two dimensions – sustainability and healthiness of diets. Countries should decide on the trade-offs according to their situations and goals.

These guiding principles emphasize the role of food consumption and diets in contributing to the achievement of the Sustatinable Development Goals (SDGs) at the country level, especially SDGs:
1 No Poverty
2 Zero Hunger
3 Good Health and Well-Being
4 Quality Education
5 Gender Equality
12 Responsible Consumption and Production
13 Climate Action

Also see our ICDA SFS Toolkit’s SDG Briefs: Dietitian-Nutritionist Roles that includes D-N Roles for SDG 4, 5, 12, and 13 above as well as:
6 Clean water and sanitation
8 Decent work and economic growth
14 Life below water
15 Life on land

2025 January

The Food Planet Prize

The Curt Bergfors Foundation was established on August 30th, 2019, in acknowledgement of the perils that our current food systems pose to the health of people and the planet, and with the conviction that the ways we produce, distribute and consume food must be radically and urgently reformed if future generations — and the planet itself — are to survive and thrive. Immediate action is required.
* The vision is a well-nourished world population on a thriving planet.
* The mission is to drive a rapid transition to a sustainable global food system. They do this through research grants, awards, and information campaigns. Most of their activities are centred around the Food Planet Prize.

Through the foundation and the founding capital that Curt provided (500 million SEK came from his private assets), Curt acknowledged that our current ways of producing, distributing, and consuming food are causing significant damage and that we must urgently and drastically change our modus operandi to save both human and planetary health. The foundation supports the transition to sustainable food systems through research grants, awards, and information campaigns. Its primary tool is The Food Planet Prize. With an annual award of two million USD, it is the world’s most significant environmental endowment.

The Food Planet Prize rewards innovative initiatives that will improve the global food system within a ten-year period while supporting a resilient biosphere and feeding a growing world population. It is Curt’s brainchild and his greatest legacy. He wished to contribute to a better, more bountiful Food Planet and was confident that it could be nursed back to health.

We share this with you as there is a long list of winners and nominees you can gain inspiration from, or partner with, as you work to further Sustainable Food Systems wherever you are.

Or maybe you will apply to win the award yourself!

Winners & nominees