Double Pyramid 2016 : A More Sustainable Future Depends on Us

The Double Pyramid is the synthesis of the relationship between food and environment which BCFN (Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition) has been analysing, with a multi-disciplinary approach, since 2009. The idea of constructing the environmental pyramid as the upside-down image of the classic food pyramid has succeeded in effectively conveying the message that the most healthy foods are also those that are most consistent with an environmentally sustainable ethic.As is the case every year, the report dedicated to the Double Pyramid aims to combine scientific rigour and dissemination in order to reach the broadest audience possible, made up of people who make important choices everyday, for both themselves and for future generations, in terms of the foods that they eat.The BCFN research group, which has contributed to the creation of this volume, hopes for a collaboration between both public and private entities in order to help build a more just, equal, and sustainable world

Sustainable Diets: another hurdle or a better food future?,

The notion of sustainable diets has emerged forcibly onto the food policy agenda in recent years, but has also met resistance. The article reviews the case for sustainable diets. It counterbalances the current dominant policy emphasis on raising food output as the best route to a sustainable food future. The article suggests that a process of democratic experimentation is underway. Some official guidelines have emerged alongside a mix of civil society and academic formulations. More coherence of data, principles and purpose is needed at the global and regional policy-making levels for these to become effective in the common task of reducing the food system’s negative impact on health, environment and economies

Mediterranean diet, a sustainable cultural asset

The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern and associated lifestyle that adopts mainly plant foods. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been acknowledged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity since 2013, a candidacy involving seven countries in the area, including Portugal, aiming to safeguard the MD in its multiple dimensions. The corresponding food system is recognized as healthy and sustainable by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and by the World Health Organization (WHO), inspiring dietary guidelines around the world. The current entry examines the sustainability and resilience of the Mediterranean dietary food pattern, using the Portuguese as a case study to examine the feasibility of prospective composite indicators in assessing the sustainability of diets and food systems. Information extracted from reports and official statistics was used to assess a set of proposed metrics. Although information to fulfil most metrics was found, some data gaps were identified, highlighting the need to improve existing metrics. The current work highlights the role of science and policy in transforming four key areas of human–nature interaction: use of natural resources, food systems, production and consumption, and cities’ sustainability. Since sustainable production and consumption (SGD 12) is key to the UN’s 2030 agenda, it is important to analyze to what extent the dissemination of the Mediterranean diet among the population can be a way to achieve this goal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sustainable diet policy development: implications of multi-criteria and other approaches, 2008-2017

The objective of the present paper is to draw lessons from policy development on sustainable diets. It considers the emergence of sustainable diets as a policy issue and reviews the environmental challenge to nutrition science as to what a 'good' diet is for contemporary policy. It explores the variations in how sustainable diets have been approached by policy-makers. The paper considers how international United Nations and European Union (EU) policy engagement now centres on the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Change Accord, which require changes across food systems. The paper outlines national sustainable diet policy in various countries: Australia, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, Sweden, UK and USA. While no overarching common framework for sustainable diets has appeared, a policy typology of lessons for sustainable diets is proposed, differentiating (a) orientation and focus, (b) engagement styles and (c) modes of leadership. The paper considers the particularly tortuous rise and fall of UK governmental interest in sustainable diet advice. Initial engagement in the 2000s turned to disengagement in the 2010s, yet some advice has emerged. The 2016 referendum to leave the EU has created a new period of policy uncertainty for the UK food system. This might marginalise attempts to generate sustainable diet advice, but could also be an opportunity for sustainable diets to be a goal for a sustainable UK food system. The role of nutritionists and other food science professions will be significant in this period of policy flux

A tradução de dietas sustentáveis na prática: o potencial da contratação de alimentos públicos

Building on widespread calls for policies and development strategies that align human and ecological goals, an increasing number of scholars and practitioners are turning to the concept of “sustainable diet” as a guiding principle to address the multidimensional implications of food production on society, the environment and the economy. After discussing the core principles of this concept and providing some examples of its practical application, this article explores the potential of food procurement in progressing sustainable diets in public canteens. A critical review of the literature shows that there are three main barriers that need to be overcome to embed the principles of “sustainable diet” in public contracts: the primacy of a rigid ‘value for money’ ethos, which reinforces a risk-averse culture around public food provision that inhibits individuals and organisations from driving change; the tendency by governments to promote ‘silo-ed’ approaches to change leadership on issues like public procurement, which inhibit the levels of knowledge-sharing and collective endeavor across departments that is required to underpin sustainable procurement reform; and a lack of technical knowledge related to sustainable procurement and sustainable food provision.Con base en llamamientos generalizados por políticas y estrategias de desarrollo que alinean objetivos humanos y ecológicos, un número creciente de estudiosos y profesionales está recurriendo al concepto de "dieta sustentable" como un principio orientador para abordar las implicaciones multidimensionales de la producción de alimentos en la sociedad, en el medio ambiente y en la economía. Después de discutir los principios fundamentales de este concepto y proporcionar algunos ejemplos de su aplicación práctica, este artículo explora el potencial de la compra de alimentos en el desarrollo de dietas sostenibles en compras públicas de alimentos. Una revisión crítica de la literatura muestra que hay tres barreras principales que deben ser superadas para incorporar los principios de la dieta sostenible en las compras públicas: la primacía de un ethos rígido, "value for money", que refuerza una cultura aversión al riesgo en torno de la provisión de alimentos públicos que inhibe a individuos y organizaciones de impulsar el cambio; la tendencia de los gobiernos de promover enfoques "silenciados" para cambiar el liderazgo en cuestiones como las compras públicas, que inhiben los niveles de intercambio de conocimiento y esfuerzo colectivo entre los departamentos necesarios para sostener la reforma sostenible de adquisiciones; y falta de conocimiento técnicoCom base em apelos generalizados por políticas e estratégias de desenvolvimento que alinhem objetivos humanos e ecológicos, um número crescente de estudiosos e profissionais está recorrendo ao conceito de “dieta sustentável” como um princípio orientador para abordar as implicações multidimensionais da produção de alimentos na sociedade, no meio ambiente e na economia. Depois de discutir os princípios fundamentais deste conceito e fornecer alguns exemplos da sua aplicação prática, este artigo explora o potencial da aquisição de alimentos no desenvolvimento de dietas sustentáveis em compras públicas de alimentos. Uma revisão crítica da literatura mostra que há três barreiras principais que precisam ser superadas para incorporar os princípios da “dieta sustentável” nas compras públicas: a primazia de um ethos rígido, “value for money”, que reforça uma cultura avessa ao risco em torno da provisão de alimentos públicos que inibe indivíduos e organizações de impulsionar a mudança; a tendência dos governos de promover abordagens "silenciadas" para mudar a liderança em questões como as compras públicas, que inibem os níveis de compartilhamento de conhecimento e esforço coletivo entre os departamentos necessários para sustentar a reforma sustentável de aquisições; e falta de conhecimento técnico relacionado a compras sustentáveis e fornecimento sustentável de alimentos

The MEDGICarb-Study: Design of a multi-center randomized controlled trial to determine the differential health-promoting effects of low- and high-glycemic index Mediterranean-style eating patterns

Adults with central adiposity and other features of the metabolic syndrome have a markedly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). A Mediterranean-style healthy eating pattern (MED-HEP) and consumption of foods with a lower glycemic index (GI) are potential dietary approaches to curb the T2D and CVD epidemic. However, experimental evidence of the effectiveness of MED-HEP and of the contribution of GI towards improving indices of glucose homeostasis, especially among non-diabetic people, are lacking. Therefore, we developed the MedGI-Carb trial, a multi-center (Italy, Sweden, and United States) intervention in adults with at least two components of the metabolic syndrome (elevated waist circumference + one other component) that aims to improve markers of glucose homeostasis through dietary modification. All participants were randomized to consume an isocaloric high- or low-GI MED-HEP for 12 weeks. We hypothesized that indexes of insulinemia (primary outcome: postprandial insulin and glucose after standardized breakfast and lunch; secondary outcomes: fasting plasma glucose and insulin, HbA1c, 24-h continuous glucose monitoring) would be improved more with the low-GI versus the high-GI MED-HEP. Additionally, we hypothesized that consumption of a MED-HEP would improve other markers of cardiometabolic health and well-being (fasting blood pressure, fasting lipid profile, sleep quality, satiety, global metabolic alterations in the plasma metabolome, changes in the gut microbiota, subjective health and well-being), with no difference between groups. Collectively, the design of MEDGI-Carb allows several different research questions to be explored. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03410719

The MEDGICarb-Study: Design of a multi-center randomized controlled trial to determine the differential health-promoting effects of low- and high-glycemic index Mediterranean-style eating patterns

Adults with central adiposity and other features of the metabolic syndrome have a markedly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). A Mediterranean-style healthy eating pattern (MED-HEP) and consumption of foods with a lower glycemic index (GI) are potential dietary approaches to curb the T2D and CVD epidemic. However, experimental evidence of the effectiveness of MED-HEP and of the contribution of GI towards improving indices of glucose homeostasis, especially among non-diabetic people, are lacking. Therefore, we developed the MedGI-Carb trial, a multi-center (Italy, Sweden, and United States) intervention in adults with at least two components of the metabolic syndrome (elevated waist circumference + one other component) that aims to improve markers of glucose homeostasis through dietary modification. All participants were randomized to consume an isocaloric high- or low-GI MED-HEP for 12 weeks. We hypothesized that indexes of insulinemia (primary outcome: postprandial insulin and glucose after standardized breakfast and lunch; secondary outcomes: fasting plasma glucose and insulin, HbA1c, 24-h continuous glucose monitoring) would be improved more with the low-GI versus the high-GI MED-HEP. Additionally, we hypothesized that consumption of a MED-HEP would improve other markers of cardiometabolic health and well-being (fasting blood pressure, fasting lipid profile, sleep quality, satiety, global metabolic alterations in the plasma metabolome, changes in the gut microbiota, subjective health and well-being), with no difference between groups. Collectively, the design of MEDGI-Carb allows several different research questions to be explored. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03410719

Towards a new food labelling system for sustainable food production and healthy responsible consumption: The Med Index Checklist

By 2024, the European Commission will examine a new sustainable labeling framework. Here we describe the development of a new food product labeling system, named Mediterranean Index (Med Index), aimed at promoting adherence to the Mediterranean diet (healthy and sustainable nutritional pattern) by stimulating citizens to practice physical activity consistent with the energy intake of meals and encouraging producers to make healthier and more sustainable food products. It is characterized by the possibility of integrating 27 criteria addressing the issue of sustainable food production processes in the frame of three pillars: nutritional, environmental, and social sustainability. It is conceived as a holistic front-of-pack (FOP) label, complete and applicable by food producers as it is based on measurable criteria, widely shared by stakeholders, but usually adopted on an individual basis

Metrics of sustainable diets and food systems

Policy makers and consumers are challenging the scientific community to come up with ways to measure the environmental impact of the foods we eat. This Brief describes a challenging and innovative research agenda implemented by Bioversity and its partners to describe and measure sustainable diets and food systems. The Brief builds on the early work of FAO and Bioversity in understanding sustainable diets and identifies the rich cultural history of our food and the very real concerns about access and cost is not lost in our mission to improve dietary quality for the poor with the ultimate goal of improving nutrition and health. The study of sustainable diets is as relevant to the challenges of undernutrition as it is with dietary transition and nutrition related chronic diseases and obesity