10.2 Healthy diets and the environment

Policies and actions

 

1.

Guidance:

Develop or update national food-based dietary guidelines through the full integration of environmental sustainability elements in each of the guideline’s recommendations, according to national contexts (11).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Health, agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National

 

Instruments:

Regulation

 

ICHI code:

VEA.WJ.ZZ

Policy change in relation to eating behaviours

 

2.

Guidance:

Integrate sustainable healthy diets in existing food systems (11). Possible actions include the following.

·       Support the production, processing, distribution, labelling, marketing and consumption of foods that contribute to sustainable healthy diets (such as plant- based foods and unprocessed foods).

·       Align food policies across sectors, such as health, agriculture, education, environment, water and trade.

·       Collect information on current diets across different population groups.

·       Identify availability of different foods, mismatches in food supply and demand, and required changes in the existing food system.

·       Improve access to local healthy food choices (13).

·       Implement restrictions on unhealthy food in and around open public spaces, schools and sports facilities (13).

·       Pay special attention to the poor and their access to healthy and sustainable food.

·       Develop national food-based dietary guidelines that define context-specific sustainable healthy diets.

·       Minimize the use of antibiotics and hormones in food production.

·       Minimize the use of plastics and derivatives in food packaging.

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Health, agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National

 

Instruments:

Regulation, taxes and subsidies

 

ICHI code:

VEA.TB.ZZ

Planning in relation to eating behaviours

 

3.

Guidance:

Improve storage, preservation, transport and distribution technologies and infrastructure to reduce seasonal food insecurity, food and nutrient loss and waste (9).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

 

Instruments:

Infrastructure, technology and built environment

 

ICHI code:

UAB.VA.ZZ#ISIC Class 5210#ISIC Class 4923

Capacity building in relation to food Warehousing and storage

Freight transport by road

+

UAB.TK.ZZ#ISIC Class 5210#ISIC Class 4923

Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to food

Warehousing and storage

Freight transport by road

 

4.

Guidance:

Support the diversification of crops including underutilized traditional crops, applying sustainable food production and natural resource management practices (14, 15).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

 

Instruments:

Taxes and subsidies, other management and control

 

ICHI code:

UGR.VA.ZZ&UBO

Capacity building in relation to agriculture

Soil quality

 

5.

Guidance:

Support agrobiodiversity and the use of integrated pest management to reduce the need for chemical pesticides and herbicides (15).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

 

Instruments:

Infrastructure, technology and built environment

 

ICHI code:

UGR.VA.ZZ&UGL

Capacity building interventions in relation to agriculture

Chemicals and chemical products

 

6.

Guidance:

Support healthy soils/healthy soil management (15).

This can be achieved through the following examples.

·       Use cover crops, legumes, composting and agroforestry.

·       Curb land clearing.

·       Prevent further land degradation and loss of soil fertility (e.g. through reduced monocultures and increased crop rotation).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

 

Instruments:

Infrastructure, technology and built environment

 

ICHI code:

UGR.VB.ZZ&UAN

Awareness raising in relation to agriculture

Products and technology of land development

 

7.

Guidance:

Support and enhance sustainable local food production and processing, especially by small-holder and family farmers (15).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

 

Instruments:

Infrastructure, technology and built environment; taxes and subsidies

 

ICHI code:

UGR.VA.ZZ&UAB&XB O8.2

Capacity building in relation to agriculture

Food

Family

 

8.

Guidance:

Preserve fish habitats and support sustainable fisheries (15).

         Maintain/restore catchment vegetation to reduce runoff erosion.

         Reduce water pollution from for example industry and urban areas.

         Restrict destructive fishing methods.

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

 

Instruments:

Infrastructure, technology and built environment, taxes and subsidies

 

ICHI code:

UAB.TM.ZZ#ISIC Division 03

Environmental modification in relation to food

Fisheries

 

Awareness raising and capacity building

 

9.

Guidance:

Educate consumers about healthy and sustainable food (11).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Agro-food, health, environment

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

Universal health coverage

 

Instruments:

Information, education and communication

 

ICHI code:

VEA.PM.ZZ

Education to influence eating behaviours

 

10.

Guidance:

Promote sustainable healthy diets that are high in whole grains, pulses, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds; low in energy-intensive animal-sourced and discretionary foods (such as sugary beverages); and with a carbohydrate threshold (11, 16).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Health, food

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

Universal health coverage

 

Instruments:

Information, education and communication

 

ICHI code:

VEA.VB.ZZ

Awareness raising to influence eating behaviours

 

VEA.PM.ZZ

Education in relation to eating behaviours

 

11.

Guidance:

Promote healthy dietary changes towards less emission-intensive food products (9, 16). Key messages may include the following.

         Reduce the consumption of meat, other animal-sourced foods and processed foods, while increasing the consumption of unprocessed and plantbased foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

         Buy and consume locally produced food.

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Health, environment, food

 

Level of implementation:

National, community

Universal health coverage

 

Instruments:

Information, education and communication

 

ICHI code:

UGR.VR.ZZ&VEA

Reducing emissions in relation to agriculture

Eating behaviours

 

12.

Guidance:

Raise awareness about the benefits of local food production related to community development, climate change and health and provide appropriate training on local food production (15).

 

Sector principally involved in planning/ implementation:

Health, environment, food

 

Level of implementation:

National community

Universal health coverage

 

Instruments:

Information, education and communication

 

ICHI code:

UGR.VB.ZZ&SXB&UBS

Awareness raising in relation to agriculture

Engaging in community life

Climate change