The Israeli Forum for Sustainable Nutrition (IFSN) is a multidisciplinary professional organization of scientists and health-related professionals in the field of nutritional security and food systems. We are recognised as a unique, professional, trustworthy, and capable organization with an intense net of collaborations with the government, knesset, academia, civil societies, national committees, as well as national and global leading professional members.
Israeli society faces a paradox of growing obesity and nutritional insecurity, largely a result of an unhealthy and unequitable food environment. Despite the need for increased access to healthy food, the Israeli agricultural sector is collapsing, and about a third of all food produced is wasted. Globalization, coupled with the impacts of climate change, is poised to increase the burden on the global and Israeli food systems. These interdisciplinary and interdependent challenges require bold action and partnership between all sectors of society in order to provide a healthy and sustainable food environment. This is where IFSN comes in.
Mission: IFSN advocates for government policies on health, nutrition, and the environment that are supported by scientific evidence and calls to establish a national food strategy to ensure nutritional security for all Israelis. IFSN are currently spearheading leading national initiatives in collaboration with the government, NGOs, and leading academic professionals.
Planetary Health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth.
Planetary Health aligns with Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) and can be a good space for Dietitians and Nutritionists (D-Ns) to link to and build on. The following Declaration on Planetary Health demonstrates that, especially in the statements on Agriculture/Food Systems, Health, Schools, and Universities.
Click through to the website to utilize the myriad of free resources including curricula, videos, and webinars/podcasts; become a free member and join regional hubs; and start linking with like minded colleagues!
2021 São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health
A multi-stakeholder call to action co-created by the global Planetary Health community on what is necessary for each of us to achieve a just transition to a world which optimizes the well-being of all people in harmony with Earth’s natural systems
The global planetary health community warns that the ongoing degradation of Earth’s natural systems poses an urgent threat to human well-being everywhere. A just and global transformation in how we live is essential to protect both people and the planet. Crises such as the COVID‑19 pandemic, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution have devastated lives and livelihoods, particularly among the most vulnerable.
The evidence is clear: human health cannot be secured without restoring the planet’s life-support systems. This calls for the Great Transition—a fundamental shift in how we produce and consume, build our cities, govern, and relate to nature and each other, moving from exploitation to interdependence, equity, and regeneration. Achieving this vision demands cooperation across all sectors, cultures, and generations. We invite everyone to see themselves as partners in planetary healing.
In an interconnected world, each action inspires others; together we pledge to dedicate our lives to the service of humanity and to the protection and renewal of the natural systems that sustain all life on Earth.
Capacity building & education (hubs, campaigns, training).
Infrastructure (water, composting, digital networks).
Funding (new mechanisms, pooled resources).
Monitoring & data (metrics, updated maps).
Impact So Far
The online map shows 100+ initiatives.
Authorities are beginning to view community growing as central to health, climate, and planning.
Grassroots groups feel heard and empowered.
Lessons for Other Regions
Start with mapping and listening.
Create visioning spaces for communities.
Blend infrastructure with cultural change.
Support networks for resilience.
Embed growing into policy frameworks.
Bioregional Conclusion
Food growing strengthens the relationship between people and place.
Projects act as living nodes in an interconnected ecology of health, climate resilience, and cultural identity.
Rooting initiatives in the distinct geography and culture of Tayside makes them regenerative, not just reactive.
Full Case Study
In the Tay Bioregion, communities are being encouraged to reimagine what it means to grow food — not just as rows of vegetables, but as roots of connection, wellbeing, and resilience. The Mapping Community‑Led Food Growing in Tayside initiative, born from the energy of a climate-focused conference, has become a compelling story of place, people, and potential.
Figure 1: Intervention Wheel
Seedbed: How it all started
In March 2023, in Dundee, a gathering called “Feeding Tayside Through The Climate Crisis” set out to examine how Tayside’s food system must transform in this decade — for climate mitigation, biodiversity, food security, inclusivity, healthier diets, and resilience.
From this conference emerged an array of ideas — but also something concrete: a framework, dubbed the Intervention Wheel, which visualised where action was needed. One of the first spokes on that wheel? Mapping community-led food growing across Tayside — figuring out who is doing it, where, how, and with what support.
Thus, under the banner “Strengthening & Developing Community-led Food Growing in Tayside: Recipes for Action”, Bioregioning Tayside embarked on Phase 1: to understand the current landscape.
Method: Listening, Looking, Mapping
Figure 2: Screenshot of StoryMap of community-led Food Growing in Tayside
The team gathered data in several ways:
Desktop Research & Mapping: Existing records from councils, charities, and community groups were combined and cross-referenced, locating and cataloguing initiatives across Tayside.
Survey: Over one hundred groups were contacted. The survey asked about governance, staffing, growing methods, soil knowledge, challenges, and aspirations. Thirty-two groups responded, painting a diverse picture of activity and needs.
Live Sessions: Community sessions in Angus, Dundee, and Perth & Kinross invited growers and volunteers to share their dreams and challenges — from access to land to visions of edible neighbourhoods.
What They Discovered: Blooms and Barriers
What’s growing well
A rich diversity of projects: allotments, orchards, community gardens, and therapeutic spaces.
Strong online presence for many groups, with social media acting as a bridge to the public.
A mix of methods: raised beds, polytunnels, greenhouses, and container growing.
Enthusiasm for greener futures, harvest festivals, shared surplus food, and reconnecting people — young and old — with the land.
Where it’s not so easy
Land access: secure, usable spaces remain a barrier.
Funding & infrastructure: reliance on volunteers, patchy resources, such as shelters, water, or compost facilities.
Knowledge gaps: soil health, climate-adapted growing, and year-round production remain challenges.
Coordination & visibility: groups can be hard to find, limiting networking and collaboration.
Policy friction: permissions and planning processes often slow or block progress.
Dreams Rooted in Soil: Aspirations from the Field
The live sessions revealed powerful collective visions:
Edible landscapes integrated into new housing developments.
School gardens becoming part of everyday learning.
Shared seeds, heritage varieties, and local festivals celebrating food.
Stronger networks, pooling resources, and amplifying grassroots voices.
Accessible, inclusive spaces that welcome beginners and reduce red tape.
Turning Data into Action: Recipes & Interventions
From these insights, the Recipes for Action identified key intervention areas:
Policy Change & Visibility: Creating a community‑led food growing charter, embedding food in local planning.
Capacity Building & Education: Strengthening hubs, offering training, promoting value of community growing.
Infrastructure: Expanding access to essentials like water, composting, and digital networks.
Funding: Exploring new mechanisms, from grants to crowdfunding, to ensure sustainability.
Monitoring & Data: Establishing metrics to measure impact and keep public maps up to date.
The Impact So Far & What’s Next
The project has already begun to shift perceptions:
The online map highlights over 100 community growing initiatives, making them visible and accessible.
The enabling conditions for strengthening and developing community growing in Tayside are being better understood by policy and funding organisations
The role of community growing as central to health, climate, and development strategies.
Grassroots groups are being offered the opportunity to connect across the Bioregion, enabling their collective voice to be heard, contributing not only practical insights but visions for policy.
Looking ahead, the next phases will focus on:
Launching a regional charter.
Building stronger grower networks.
Running awareness campaigns and community events.
Improving infrastructure, both physical and digital.
Establishing ongoing monitoring and evaluation systems.
Piloting Hyper-Local Food Plans as part of Tayside’s new Climate Adaptation Strategy
Reflections: What Makes This Story Special
This is more than another environmental project. It centres people and place. It recognises food growing as a nexus of health, identity, community, and climate resilience. Mapping makes visible what is often overlooked — showing that what people are already doing deserves recognition, support, and integration into wider systems. It also models transformation as a staged process: listen, map, connect, support, and then scale. Growing communities, like growing soil, takes patience and care.
Lessons for Other Regions
Begin by mapping and listening: know what already exists.
Create spaces for visioning: let people articulate their aspirations.
Blend infrastructure with culture: physical resources matter, but so does shifting public perception.
Support networks: collaboration strengthens resilience.
Embed in policy: integrate community food growing into planning and development.
Conclusion: A Bioregional View of Tayside’s Food Future
Seen through a bioregional lens, the Tayside story is not simply about food projects scattered across a map, but about the renewal of relationships between people and place. Community gardens, orchards, allotments, and therapeutic growing spaces become living nodes in a wider ecology — connecting soil health to human health, climate action to cultural resilience, local identity to global responsibility.
By mapping, listening, and weaving these initiatives into networks, Tayside is beginning to act as a true bioregion: recognising that flourishing communities and thriving landscapes are inseparable. The case study shows that when food growing is rooted in the distinct geography, culture, and ecology of a place, it becomes more than a response to crisis — it becomes a pathway to regeneration.
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
A practical toolkit for United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) Trusts to support dietetic students in completing sustainability-focused projects on placement.
Encourages UK NHS Trusts to embed sustainability in routine audit, service evaluation, and/or health promotion activities.
Provides key information, time-saving templates, case studies, and signposting to other resources.
Aims to increase staff and student awareness of sustainability issues and to develop confidence to tackle them.
Lessons Learnt: The toolkit is about to be piloted in practice, so learning is yet to happen.
Background
Sustainability is increasingly recognised as a critical component of healthcare, and dietitians have a unique role in its promotion. Whilst they are perfectly placed to support individuals with small changes to increase the sustainability of their diets, they can also be key agents for change at an organisational level.
With the UK NHS committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040, system-wide changes in practice, culture, and education are undoubtedly required. Despite this, sustainability is not consistently embedded in dietetic education or clinical placements, and many students complete their education with limited exposure to the sustainability agenda.
Key barriers identified by dietetic educators and UK NHS Trust placement providers include a lack of time and a lack of confidence to guide students in sustainability-related projects. While enthusiasm exists, placement supervisors often struggle to identify projects that are achievable within placement structures that additionally align with professional competencies.
The Toolkit Idea
To address this gap, a toolkit is being developed to support UK NHS Trusts in setting sustainability-themed projects for dietetic students during placements. The aim is to make sustainability an integrated and achievable aspect of training, without placing additional burden on supervisors.
The toolkit will include:
Key information – about the importance of sustainability for nutrition/healthcare professionals.
A “Quick Start” guide – for ease of use.
Student project templates – adaptable briefs for audits, quality improvement projects, and health promotion activities.
Case studies – to provide inspiration by showcasing other student projects.
Signposting and resources – for further information if required.
Once the student has completed their sustainability project, they present and discuss their findings with their department to promote learning at an organisational level. The toolkit will encourage students to make practical recommendations to the Trust, aiming to increase the sustainability of their service and move the organisation closer to the UK NHS’ net zero ambitions.
Implementation
The Greener Projects Toolkit is being finalised through consultation with academic educators, based on the current available evidence and experience regarding barriers to embedding sustainability into dietetic education. The literature suggests that whilst sustainability is seen as important, time and confidence are substantial barriers to its integration. The toolkit is therefore being designed with ease-of-use as a priority to allow for easy and swift implementation by users.
Once complete, the toolkit will be piloted with UK NHS Trusts providing dietetic placements for students at the University of Plymouth. Further improvements and developments will be made based on staff and student feedback.
Food for Thought
How could sustainability be more consistently integrated into professional training and practice?
What role can students play in leading organisational change?
How might small placement projects contribute to larger organisational net zero ambitions?
Contact Information
Dr Clare Pettinger, Associate Professor, Public Health Dietetics, University of Plymouth, UK
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
The ICDA SFS Toolkit awarded a total of 12 Nutrition/Dietetic Associations (NDAs) grants from 2022-24. For more information about the grants, see: NDA Sustainability Grants. These are the final set of grants that were awarded in 2024 and finalized in 2025.
DA developed information, education and communication materials for the Pathway to Planetary Health (link to article). The process was led by member Kristen MacKenzie-Shalders, along with members of the Dietitians Australia Food and Environment Interest Group and others listed on the website.
They aim to empower D-Ns to undertake pro-environmental change in their personal and professional lives and foster positive behaviour change through evidence-based education, information, and communication strategies. The outputs include a user-friendly, professional PowerPoint slide deck and a 30-minute recorded webinar, with accompanying materials; a workshop; an online participatory webinar; and a case-study summary submitted to the Focus on Health Professional Education Journal.
There are 6️⃣ dimensions that form the positive change process. They all interact & people move within & between each. They are ALL important: 🦈 AGENCY – vision, self-belief, confidence, strength, and responsibility 🐢 ACTION – start, shift, translate, achieve, and commit ✨ ACENSION – build, overcome, manage, challenge, and progress 🐚 ALIGNMENT – leadership, transparency, diplomacy, values, and systems 💐 ALLIANCE & ALLYSHIP – support, collaborate, represent, community, and citizenship 🐠 ADVOCACY & ACTIVISM – disrupt, co-design, transform, empower, and urgency
Click through and look at the amazing artwork by artist Jessie Mordey of Zomered Style (which are much better than the emojis I found!). Jessie is a First Nations woman and likes to create traditional symbolic images that connect strongly with her Torres Strait Islander Heritage. These images represent identity, Torres Strait Heritage, connection to ancestors, cultural storyline, community, and connection to natural elements.
The symbolism for each dimension is her interpretation of the dimension. For example: 🦈 For ACTION, the shark keeps moving forward and can adapt 🐢 The turtle in AGENCY includes stamina and survival with the sun for growth ✨ The stars in ASCENSION act as a compass to guide Islanders home 🐚 The clamshell for ALIGNMENT symbolises direction and connection to self 💐 For ALLIANCE & ALLYSHIP, the flower and plant represent peace, trust, relationship, and communication 🐠 The woven fish is meaningful for strength in bonding and moving together (ADVOCACY & ACTIVISM)
MDOSZ adapted key #ICDAsfsToolkit resources to the Hungarian language and culture, overcoming the English barrier faced by over two-thirds of dietitians. With 712 members and outreach to 2,100 professionals via newsletter, plus 32,000 social media followers, MDOSZ has great potential to raise awareness of sustainability in practice. They provided tools and education to academics, clinicians, food service, and public health professionals.
Professional Presentations and Educational Activities:
At the MDOSZ annual general meeting, we delivered a 15-minute presentation attended by approximately 500 dietitian colleagues.
We held a 60-minute lecture on sustainable nutrition for dietetic students at Semmelweis University.
As part of practical training, we have introduced the topic of sustainable eating to MATE Tourism MSc students using the self-developed infographic.
In the 2025/26 academic year, we have been invited to give a presentation on sustainable nutrition to MSc Nutrition students at Széchenyi István University.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the opportunity to participate in this program. It was an honour to collaborate with the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations (ICDA). This period proved to be both valuable and constructive in every respect, as it allowed us to deepen our understanding of sustainability. Through the inspiring work of our colleagues, we became acquainted with excellent projects that motivated us and led to the development of new professional materials.
ASAND’s Foodservice Study Group developed the project to: — promote sustainable nutrition through a participatory approach and the tools of nutritional counseling; — strengthen the empowerment of citizens (users, parents, teachers); — activate a network of municipalities interested in renewing the school food service by valuing local experiences and promoting the exchange of best practices; and — share a toolkit of practical and replicable tools for use by other local municipalities and professionals.
The project worked with school canteens in a network of 11 Italian municipalities in 3 Provinces. The team planned activities in co-design with users, implemented experimental initiatives together, and interacted with the involved municipalities. Following the initial meetings and online discussions, they decided to organise and start the following “challenges”, which are now completed.
With the selection of local, sustainable, and low CO₂-emission recipes, proposed and discussed within school meal committees. On the experimental menu day “Farmer’s Dish”, among a total of 462 students, the following outcomes were recorded: the “legume soup with pasta” recipe was consumed and appreciated by 81% of the children, while the “Fettunta” was consumed and appreciated by 85%. Overall, food waste remained well below the 30% target threshold.
The activation of a nutritional education path through practical workshops on healthy eating was tailored to the specific needs of each school, engaging students actively with ongoing support from teachers and parents. Designed as a food education tool for primary school children, the initiative involved 93 children and 125 adults (teachers and parents).
We created a poster about our work which highlights the importance of reducing food waste in school canteens through practical preventive and corrective actions. It details the data collection, key findings, and strategies to reduce waste. This poster won the award for best contribution at the spring 2025 national nutrition conference hosted by SINPE (the Italian Society for Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism) and ASAND (the Italian Association of Dietetics and Nutrition).
A free listening and consultation service for families and educators, managed by trained dietitian staff. Sessions were held every month from January to May 2025, as detailed in the attached flyer. The help desk addressed nutritional concerns and fostered direct dialogue with families.
SVDEco-created a position paper titled “Sustainable food systems and the role of dieticians in Switzerland”. The position paper directs the professional development of Swiss dietitians in terms of sustainable diets from SFS. The position paper is an instrument that serves to communicate ‘internally’ so that dietitians can use it as a guide. Furthermore, it empowers dietitians to position themselves ‘externally’ towards other actors in the field of the food system in terms of strategy, expertise, and politics.
This requires an evidence- and value-based vision and concrete, action-based measures on three levels:
Positioning Dietitians’ existing professional skills in SFS, opening up new fields of activity and development opportunities for dietitians
Defining sustainable nutrition and nutritional advice in SFS in the curricula of dietitians, strengthening training and further education on SFS
Positioning dietitians as an important professional voice in political discussions and decisions on SFS
The project had five key outputs:
1 – A consultation workshop was held with dietitians at Switzerland’s NDA ‘SVDE’ annual meeting in spring 2025
2 – Publication of the reviewed paper, Role of nutrition advice in Switzerland in the sustainable nutrition system (2025), in the SFS Toolkit in the summer of 2025
Preliminary research conducted in 2024 revealed that nutrition professionals in Trinidad and Tobago were eager to deepen their knowledge and expertise on sustainability as it relates to nutrition. In response, the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians (TTANDi) launched a Sustainability Project, which was successfully completed in November 2025.
The Sustainability Project’s primary objectives were to:
Enhance knowledge and awareness of sustainable food systems and sustainability in practice among nutrition professionals.
Stimulate the creation of a think tank of professionals capable of applying sustainability principles to the local context.
Key Outputs
Educational Webinar Series
Eleven virtual sessions were delivered over an 8‑month period, guided by the ICDA Sustainable Food Systems Toolkit.
Participants earned Continuous Development Credits (CDE).
The series aimed to:
Address knowledge gaps.
Highlight the relevance of sustainability and sustainable food systems to nutrition and dietetics.
Apply these concepts to the local and wider Caribbean context.
The event brought together members of the NDA alongside external stakeholders. Its purpose was to provide a comprehensive report on the Sustainability Project and to officially launch the Position Paper. As part of the program, a World Café was convened, creating an open space for dialogue and exploration. This interactive format encouraged participants to identify empowering pathways and inspire collective, positive solutions to the complex challenges facing the local food system.
TTANDi is proud of these achievements and is committed to building on the momentum generated by this project!
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
The ICDA SFS Toolkit awarded a total of 12 Nutrition/Dietetic Associations (NDAs) grants from 2022-24. For more information about the grants see: NDA Sustainability Grants. These are the second set of grants that were awarded in 2023 and finalized in 2024.
DANis increasing the knowledge of local dietitian-nutritionists about indigenous foods to promote consumption as part of a sustainable diet. The study was carried out in the six geo-political zones North Central, North East, North West, North South, South East South West and South South of Nigeria. The study highlights the available and diverse indigenous foods across the zones including fruits and leafy vegetables, cereals/grains, roots and tubers, and spices. It enumerates the importance of indigenous foods as well as current threats to local food systems and makes recommendations on how to preserve our food heritage.
It was deduced that despite the differences in the types and varieties of indigenous foods found in different localities or cultures in Nigeria, only 8.4% of six hundred and five respondents had a high consumption of indigenous foods, 4.3% moderate, and 87.3% had low consumption of indigenous foods.
The benefits of producing and consuming indigenous foods have been shown in this work. Some of these local foods, however, are getting eroded due to various challenges. Consequently, the Dietitian-Nutritionists in Nigeria through this work are called to action to ensure that indigenous foods are consumed, as well as to achieve a sustainable, equitable food system for Nigerians.
South Africagenerates approximately 10 million tonnes of food waste throughout the supply chain each year. The project aimed to increase the knowledge and awareness of local nutritionists and dietitians on household and institutional food waste to promote literacy on food waste among consumers and institutional managers.
The Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target is that by 2030 we should halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
A symposium was held at the 2023 Nutrition Congress which 48 Nutritionists and Dietitians attended. Each received a multi-lingual food waste awareness infographic created by the project, which was also shared at a conference exhibition stand.
Dietitians and nutritionists can use the infographic with consumers to improve food literacy on household food waste that documents household food waste breakdown (amount, types of foods, cost and environmental impact) and how to reduce household food waste through cook smart tips, zero waste recipes, upcycling etc.
Participants were encouraged to complete the ICDA SFS online modules through a PowerPoint explaining how to navigate the toolkit.
The presenters also developed other tools, including plantable coasters with zero-food waste messages and a “Compleating” (complete eating) zero-waste recipe book for consumers. These resources are shared here to further promote sustainable zero-waste food practices.
DiASL reduced food waste and associated food costs in selected hospitals by 33% within 12 months through the development and introduction of a “Minimum food waste tool kit.”
Sri Lanka’s private hospitals are taking significant strides toward sustainability by introducing the Minimum Food Waste Toolkit, an innovative initiative designed to reduce food waste while improving patient satisfaction and nutrition. Spearheaded by the Dietitians Association of Sri Lanka and funded by ICDA-SFS, this initiative addresses the pressing issue of food waste, which constitutes 10-15% of hospital solid waste, contributing to environmental degradation and economic inefficiencies.
Key Features of the Toolkit: The toolkit implements a patient-centered and sustainable food service approach by integrating nutritional science, operational efficiency, and real-time waste tracking. It focuses on key areas such as staff training, patient engagement, and individualized nutrition plans.
Staff Training: A comprehensive training program equipped food and beverage staff with skills in disease-specific diets, natural flavor enhancement, and standardized portion control. Ward coordinators and nursing staff were educated on effective communication and supporting patients’ nutritional needs, and chefs and kitchen helpers were guided in preparing visually appealing, disease-specific meals in correct portion sizes to suit patient requirements.
Raising awareness: A short video was displayed in the patient waiting area on the impact of edible food waste and the importance of sustainability. Watch the video here.
Screening and Monitoring Tools: The toolkit incorporated a validated Visual Analog Scale (VAS) appetite screening tool, aligned with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT), to identify patients with reduced appetite. Combined with malnutrition screening, these tools facilitated the development of tailored dietary plans to address individual nutritional needs effectively.
Customized Nutrition Plans: Personalized meal plans were designed based on patient preferences, medical conditions, and appetite levels. The flexibility of portion sizes and meal options, along with adjustments in texture and flavor helped improve patient satisfaction and compliance with their dietary regimens.
Real-Time Food Waste Monitoring: The toolkit used digital imaging and the modified Comstock method for accurate visual assessment of leftover food, providing insights into waste patterns. Weekly tracking of garbage bin usage further helped measure the impact of the toolkit, highlighting significant reductions in food waste.
Notable Outcomes
Waste Reduction: Implementation of the toolkit reduced the number of food waste bags used in a 100-bed hospital by 33%, from 60 to 40 bags weekly.
Improved Patient Compliance: Approximately 70% of patients with reduced appetite completed their meals, significantly decreasing waste.
Operational Efficiency: Enhanced meal preparation and delivery processes led to better alignment with patient needs and reduced waste.
Challenges and Future Directions: Despite the toolkit’s success, challenges persist, such as limited dietitian resources as personalized care requires significant time and effort. Proposed solutions include integrating AI-driven meal planning tools and increasing the dietitian workforce. Accurate waste segregation remains another hurdle, with issues stemming from non-edible waste and external food contributions, necessitating improved segregation systems and patient education. Future efforts will focus on adopting advanced technologies, expanding staff capacity, and refining food service systems to enable broader implementation across hospitals in Sri Lanka.
Conclusion: The Minimum Food Waste Toolkit sets a benchmark for sustainable healthcare practices, aligning with global efforts to minimize waste and enhance operational efficiency. By addressing environmental and nutritional concerns, this initiative demonstrates how Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector can lead by example, inspiring similar reforms across the country and beyond.
Submitted by Ms. F.A.Z. Firouse, President of the Dietitians’ Association of Sri Lanka. Contact: FirouseAmal@gmail.com
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
The ICDA SFS Toolkit awarded a total of 12 Nutrition/Dietetic Associations (NDAs) grants from 2022-24. For more information about the grants see: NDA Sustainability Grants. These are the first set of grants that were awarded in 2022 and finalized in 2023.
DA created PlanEATary Quest to promote planetary health, one bite at a time. The PlanEATary Quest encourages dietitians to choose their own adventure to modify your own diet-related practices in line with current evidence regarding planetary health outcomes.
🐾 Step 2: Design your Challenge – Select from over 100 tasks to design a challenge that will help you improve your score. We suggest choosing 3 – 10 tasks, focusing on the questions where you scored the lowest on the Quiz.
👣 Step 3: Complete your Challenge – Time to get your hands dirty! Spend 2-3 weeks completing your chosen tasks. As you go, you may like to reflect on what helps or hinders your quest for planetary health.
🐾 Step 4: Repeat the Quiz – Repeat the PlanEATary Quiz to see whether you’ve improved your score and are interacting with our food system more sustainably.
This grant was managed by Dr Liza Barbour and Sandy Murray, both active members of Dietitians Australia’s Food and Environment Interest Group. They established a working group of 7 members and met monthly for the first 8 months of this project, during which time we reviewed the existing materials (the ‘Eco-Friendly Food Challenge) and, based on our expertise in the field, developed an updated, evidence-based version.
The PlanEATary Quest was piloted with a group of practising dietitians and health promotion practitioners (n = 47) from Sep–Nov with a group of 5 Master’s of Dietetics during their 8-week public health placement. They recruited PlanEATary Quest participants, monitored their level of engagement throughout the intervention, and followed up with a series of interviews and focus groups (n = 14). See the infographic of key findings from this pilot.
While their placement focused on more ‘process evaluation’, they will also be analysing and writing up further results for publication in 2024. A pilot with nutrition and dietetic students is planned for February – June 2024.
Manuela Thul led the project and produced several products in a participatory manner, and spread them via the toolkit and local structures such as Webinars, Social media, NDA congress, and reaching out to schools and universities.
Manuela promoted the grant and the #ICDAsfsToolkit on the Junior_Dietitian Instagram, on the digital chat at the 64th NDA congress 13-14 May 2022, and in an article in the NDA Newsletter and the Annual Business Report 2022 of the German Association of Dietitians. These are great ways to help your NDA know the #ICDAsfsToolkit and the resources it contains.
Greeceimproved and spread the “Straight from Nature” YouTube Channel, which teaches about foods as they come from nature, aiming to support food sustainability.
Despina Varaklas created a YouTube channel by the name of Straight from Nature. The purpose of the channel is to create videos that talk about food products. Every video talks about a different product, e.g., olive oil, garlic, onions, cinnamon, etc. As dietitians, we learn about foods, nutritional values, etc, but often we don’t know enough details about each one, keeping our clients and patients short of valuable knowledge that can make for the benefit to their health. Using this channel, dietitians can learn about each product of nature, where it comes from, its health benefits, and how it can be easily incorporated into the diet.
The grant helped promote the channel through Social media, the dietetic association, webinars, interviews, workshops, and conferences, and was able to assist in the tools needed to make the videos a reality. The subscribers and watch hours of the channel have increased, but mainly the feedback is joyfully positive.
Dietitians and other health professionals are advised to listen to these videos and make use of the content. Sharing the videos is a way of you contributing to the project as well.
Spainworked on a project titled “Transitioning to sustainable diets: a tool to identify people’s barriers and motivators for following a sustainable diet”.
Júlia Muñoz-Martínez led the development and validation of a questionnaire to identify the motivators and barriers to following a sustainable diet among Spanish citizens sensitive to socioeconomic differences.
The tool is called the SALSA questionnaire (Sustainability and Healthy Diets, as its acronym in Spanish) and intends to provide the means for dietitians and other stakeholders involved in public health, for the development interventions aiming to equitably promote healthy and sustainable diets.
The process was to identify all the barriers and facilitators for following a sustainable diet among different socioeconomic groups in Barcelona to develop a first draft of SALSA. This was administered to 9 Spanish experts in the fields of sustainability, nutrition (including a member from the Spanish NDA), psychology, and sociology to validate the content. By March 2023, the survey pre-test was done with citizens from the city of Barcelona and its urban surroundings through 3 focus group discussions and 5 individual interviews.
Between April and June, they administered the online survey to a sample of more than 700 citizens across Spain. They then conducted data cleaning and psychometric analysis (item reduction, extraction of factors, test of dimensionality, test of reliability, and test of validity). Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed four final dimensions of the SALSA questionnaire, which corresponded to personal factors, external factors, sociocultural factors, and consumption of animal and plant-based protein. These dimensions were validated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
The final SALSA questionnaire investigates the barriers and facilitators for people to adhere to a sustainable and healthy diet through a set of 27 questions, grouped into four dimensions (listed above). Respondents are asked to rate their level of agreement on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating ‘completely disagree’ and 5 indicating ‘completely agree.’ This tool is a step forward towards the promotion of SHD as it can be applied in multiple scenarios. It could be used in the planning and assessment of interventions with such an aim, as well as by dietitians in one-to-one consultations at the individual level.
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
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), established in 1976, helps Americans lead healthier lives by setting national priorities for disease prevention and health promotion. As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it translates scientific evidence into policies, guidance, and tools while promoting health literacy and equitable access to clear information. ODPHP develops nutrition and physical activity guidelines and partners with federal agencies, organizations, and communities to advance innovative nutrition solutions for overall well-being.
A key focus is the Food Is Medicine (FIM) initiative, which integrates access to nutritious food with human services, education, and policy change through partnerships at the nexus of health care and community. The Food Is Medicine Initiative aims to reduce nutrition-related chronic diseases and food insecurity by implementing a coordinated federal strategy that ensures consistent access to diet- and nutrition-related resources. This strategy encompasses research, programmatic investments, and the promotion of effective FIM intervention models across the country.
ODPHP emphasizes listening to communities and working with diverse implementation partners to identify challenges and opportunities in advancing Food Is Medicine. Its efforts include: – Centralizing information on federal, state, and local Food Is Medicine programs, policies, and regulations – Developing a standardized analytic framework to measure the impact of FIM interventions – Providing practical resources and real-world case examples to support communities in designing sustainable FIM pilots and programs – Facilitating knowledge sharing and identifying opportunities for further federal action to strengthen the Food Is Medicine ecosystem
Promoting Sustainability Through Regenerative Approaches
Food Is Medicine models support sustainable food systems by fostering partnerships between community organizations and local farmers. These approaches prioritize culturally respectful, locally grown nutritious foods that promote farm sustainability and reduce environmental impact. By aligning health, community, and economic objectives, the Food Is Medicine Initiative advances regenerative models that enhance social and environmental sustainability for current and future generations.
Nutritionists engaged in building sustainable food systems will find the Food Is Medicine Initiative a valuable resource offering tools, frameworks, and collaborations to develop equitable nutrition interventions that benefit both people and the planet.
The ODPHP FIM virtual toolkit will be updated regularly with new tools and resources as the initiative evolves, supporting collective action toward healthier, more resilient communities through the transformative power of food.
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
This article is in both Spanish and English and is also open source!
Basfi-Fer, K., Molina, P., Barrera, C., Cabezas, R., & Cáceres, P. (2025). Contribución del nutricionista dietista a la sustentabilidad alimentaria: Orientaciones para su incorporación en la formación [Contribution of the dietitian nutritionist to food sustainability: Guidelines for its incorporation in the formation]. Revista Chilena de Nutrición, 52(1), 83–90. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0717-75182025000100083
Abstract
Introduction: Nutritionists play a key role in promoting sustainable diets and food systems. Their professional work is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because of the impact that food styles and systems have on the environment, and vice versa.
Methods and materials: The objective of this report is to analyze the link between sustainability, objectified through the SDGs, and the professional activity of the nutritionist in the promotion, adoption, and evaluation of sustainable diets and food systems. In addition, it is also aimed to establish the need to reorient their education to achieve this link.
The literature shows that, although there are official guidelines that support the relationship between the profession and sustainability, there is heterogeneous progress in this regard in different countries. It is therefore proposed that, in order for the professional performance to include the area of sustainability, an education that makes visible, links, and integrates the SDGs to the technical and generic competencies of their profile is required.
In Chile, by 2023, aspects of sustainability appeared only in six graduate profiles of the 36 institutions that offer the program, and their level of curricular development is unknown. Taking as an example the curriculum of the Nutrition and Dietetics program at the University of Chile, the relationship between professional competences and the goals of the SDGs is shown.
Conclusions: it is imperative to reorient the nutritionist’s formation towards sustainability, considering the current environmental crisis, and the relationship of the profession with sustainability.
Rodrigo Pacheco is a world-famous chef, and FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Ecuador.
He created the world’s largest biodiverse edible forest (food forest) located on the coast of the Ecuadorian province of Manabi, where he sustainably grows ingredients for the food served in his restaurant Bocavaldivia. He also founded the Bocavaldivia Foundation.
Chef Pacheco is a Rockefeller Fellow and a frequent speaker at international events that focus on climate change, agro-biodiversity, and sustainable gastronomy.
Big Bet:
“Create the world’s largest Biodiverse Edible Forest to protect nature, ancestral knowledge and create economic opportunity for local communities to put biodiversity on the plate.”
Project:
“Create the largest cross-country corridor of regenerated forest producing edible native species. This innovative approach leverages downstream food systems to protect, strengthen, expand, and reconnect natural ecosystems and cultural diversity of indigenous peoples across northern Latin America.
This project conserves primary forest in its pristine state; monitors biodiversity; restores deforested areas with regenerative methods; promotes sustainable gastronomy and ecological tourism as sources of transversal economy; and trains future generations to continue the work.”
Bocavaldivia is the art of culinary expression as an instrument for transformation.
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
Created 2021, updated 2025 May
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