SFS Position Paper – Sustainability

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Sustainability by the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (Website)

The Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (VN DPG) is the leading authority on evidence-based plant-based nutrition for the public and health professionals who wish to learn more about the benefits of plant-based diets for health and sustainability.

VN DPG professionals are at the forefront of educating the public about vegetarian nutrition and its relationship to disease management and prevention. The VN DPG comprises about 1,400 members. The membership comprises a significant number of Americans, Canadians and overseas members from Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. VN DPG members work as consultants, clinical dietitians, researchers and in other job settings.

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets: “Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage.”

German Nutrition Society (DGE): DGE position statement on a more sustainable diet (2021)

Renner B, Arens-Azevêdo U, Watzl B, Richter M, Virmani K, Linseisen. J for the German Nutrition Society (DGE): DGE position statement on a more sustainable diet. Ernahrungs Umschau 2021; 68(7): 144–54. DOI: 10.4455/eu.2021.030

Summary

Our understanding of the term sustainability has evolved considerably over the last 50 years and is now a key element of social action. An essential part of sustainable development is a more sustainable diet. In this position paper, the German Nutrition Society states that advocating for and promoting a more sustainable diet is an integral part of its activities. Health is a key goal of a more sustainable diet since health, quality of life, and well-being are affected by what people eat and drink. The goal dimensions of environment, animal welfare, and social aspects are explicitly added to the goal dimension of health (in their various definitions).

The food environment is also immensely important for nutritional behaviour. The DGE relies on statements from the report of the Scientific Advisory Board on Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health Protection at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (WBAE) to present a comprehensive form of the various aspects of a more sustainable diet. The position paper ensures a common basis for developing an understanding of a more sustainable diet, and enables the different fields of nutritional science to pursue a differentiated development from their specific perspectives. This paper should provide the DGE with an orientation and a commitment for its work in the future.

Sustainable healthy diets – Guiding principles (2019)

Acknowledging the existence of diverging views on the concepts of sustainable diets and healthy diets, countries have requested guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on what constitutes sustainable healthy diets. The two organisations jointly held an international expert consultation on Sustainable and Healthy Diets from 1 to 3 July 2019 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, to address these issues.

The Consultation agreed on guiding principles for what constitutes “Sustainable Healthy Diets”. This comes at a time 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.

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 SDGs at country level, especially Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action).

This publication on Sustainable Healthy Diets – Guiding principles (2019) aims to support the efforts of countries as they work to transform food systems to deliver on sustainable healthy diets.

Farm to Fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (EU, 2020)

The Farm to Fork Strategy is part of the European Green Deal aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly. Food systems cannot be resilient to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic if they are not sustainable. We need to redesign our food systems which today account for nearly one-third of global GHG emissions, consume large amounts of natural resources, result in biodiversity loss and negative health impacts (due to both under- and over-nutrition) and do not allow fair economic returns and livelihoods for all actors, in particular for primary producers. Putting our food systems on a sustainable path also brings new opportunities for operators in the food value chain. New technologies and scientific discoveries, combined with increasing public awareness and demand for sustainable food, will benefit all stakeholders.

The Farm to Fork Strategy aims to accelerate our transition to a sustainable food system that should:

have a neutral or positive environmental impact
help to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts
reverse the loss of biodiversity
ensure food security, nutrition and public health, making sure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, sustainable food
preserve affordability of food while generating fairer economic returns, fostering competitiveness of the EU supply sector and promoting fair trade