On August 1 and 2, 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a public workshop in Washington, DC, on sustainable diets, food, and nutrition. Workshop participants reviewed current and emerging knowledge on the concept of sustainable diets within the field of food and nutrition; explored sustainable diets and relevant impacts for cross-sector partnerships, policy, and research; and discussed how sustainable diets influence dietary patterns, the food system, and population and public health. This publication briefly summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

This book takes a transdisciplinary approach and considers multisectoral actions, integrating health, agriculture, environment, economy, and socio-cultural issues, to comprehensively explore the topic of sustainable diets. Consideration is given to the multi-dimensional nature of diets and food systems, and the book explores the challenging issues connecting food security and nutrition to sustainability, culture, tradition, and a broader range of scientific topics. The first section, 'Grand Challenges' (chapters 1-9), positions sustainable diets in the multi-perspective context of food systems. Within the current international debate, it introduces some overarching wicked problems, resistant to resolution in spite of the dire consequences of inaction. The chapters cover multi-sectoral policy, public health, sustainable food systems, climate change, biodiversity loss, agro-ecology, indigenous peoples, the role of cities, and food and waste. The contributions in the second section, 'Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches' (chapters 10-17) discuss the topic of sustainable diets from different cultural, sectoral and disciplinary angles. The issues are analysed with data and methods derived from social sciences, clinical sciences and experimental sciences. Perspectives and solutions, with evidence, are presented to underpin policies and interventions. The last section, 'Moving Forward' (chapters 18-29) deals with selected innovations, initiatives, projects, case studies and programmes enhancing sustainable diets by linking nutrition to food systems.

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. 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. 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. This publication aims to support the efforts of countries as they work to transform food systems to deliver on sustainable healthy diets, 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).

How can huge populations be fed healthily, equitably and affordably while maintaining the ecosystems on which life depends? The evidence of diet’s impact on public health and the environment has grown in recent decades, yet changing food supply, consumer habits and economic aspirations proves hard. This book explores what is meant by sustainable diets and why this has to be the goal for the Anthropocene, the current era in which human activities are driving the mismatch of humans and the planet. Food production and consumption are key drivers of transitions already underway, yet policy makers hesitate to reshape public eating habits and tackle the unsustainability of the global food system. The authors propose a multi-criteria approach to sustainable diets, giving equal weight to nutrition and public health, the environment, socio-cultural issues, food quality, economics and governance. This six-pronged approach to sustainable diets brings order and rationality to what either is seen as too complex to handle or is addressed simplistically and ineffectually. The book provides a major overview of this vibrant issue of interdisciplinary and public interest. It outlines the reasons for concern and how actors throughout the food system (governments, producers, civil society and consumers) must engage with (un)sustainable diets.

This clear-sighted volume synthesizes wide-ranging knowledge of human food consumption, food production systems, and sustainability to offer methods of improving the impact of food choices on people and the environment. The comprehensive coverage addresses myriad challenges and paradoxes (e.g., health-conscious food choices that put greater stress on the planet, hunger amidst plenty) associated with the production of sustainable, nutritious food. Direct and complex links between local and global issues are highlighted in innovative approaches to transforming food production from the farm to the table and from the policy desk to the real world. Chapters identify, examine, and offer realistic recommendations for achieving critical goals, among them: Supporting healthy people and communities within planetary boundaries Reduction and prevention of food waste Combining health and sustainability on the plate "Serving sustainable and healthy food to consumers and decision makers": from commitment to action. Investing in healthier and more sustainable production. Ensuring a healthy sustainable diet is a goal of all public policies. Towards Healthy and Sustainable Diets is geared toward professionals and policymakers dealing with food, nutrition, and environmental topics seeking new perspectives on longstanding issues in these interrelated areas. It also makes a suitable reference for students studying and conducting research in these areas.

Environmental Nutrition: Connecting Health and Nutrition with Environmentally Sustainable Diets explores the connection between diet, environmental sustainability and human health. Current food systems are a major contributor to our most pressing health and environmental issues, including climate change, water scarcity, food insecurity and chronic diseases. This book not only seeks to increase our understanding of the interrelatedness of these major global issues, but also aids in the creation of new solutions. Sections discuss the diet, the health and environment trilemma, food systems and their trends, environmental nutrition as an all-encompassing discipline, and the environmental nutrition model.

Food--how we produce, prepare, share and consume it--is fundamental to our wellbeing. It also connects the human body to the complex and dynamic systems of our environment. This is more significant than ever before in human history, as climate change and increasing population impact on global ecosystems. This fourth edition of Food and Nutrition has been completely rewritten to reflect an ecosystems approach to human health. It is shaped around four dimensions of human nutrition: biology, society, environment and economy. Food and Nutrition provides a comprehensive overview of food components and the biochemistry of foods and digestion. It outlines nutrition needs at different life stages, dietary disorders, and social and cultural influences on food selection and consumption. It also explores the increasing influence of technology on agriculture and food preparation, and recent research into intergenerational nutrition and nutrigenomics. At every stage it points to how you can impact your own health and the health of others as a global citizen and as a health or other food-system-related professional. Extensively illustrated with informative graphs, diagrams and data, and with examples, glossaries and reflective exercises, Food and Nutrition is the ideal introduction to the field of nutrition and dietetics for the 21st century, and a valuable professional reference for early career dietitians.