Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

G2BackgroundThese Guidelines have a firm evidence base and a primary focus on meeting population nutritional requirements,this appendix may assist health professionals to discuss the complex issue of food, nutrition and environmentalsustainability with interested individuals. The aim would be to encourage people to review their dietary patternswith a primary focus on improving their health, while allowing them to consider ways to reduce environmentalconsequences.The production and consumption of food has a range of environmental consequences. The food system includesinterdependent components that provide food for local consumption or export. 1040 It is a subset of the naturalenvironment, and depends on and impacts on biodiversity – in Australia and globally. 1051,1055 The food systemencompasses numerous environmental inputs such as land, water and energy during the many stages from‘paddock to plate’. The resultant outputs may include greenhouse gases, waste water, land deterioration,packaging and food waste. Figure G1 gives examples of environmental consequences within the food system.The concept of food consumption habits with lower environmental impact is not new but it is complex. 1056 In 2003,the joint Expert Panel of the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agricultural Organisation outlinedbasic recommendations for dietary patterns that are ‘not only healthier but more favourable to the environmentand sustainable development’. 1046 This integration of environment and health was also noted in the 2003 editionof the Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults. 36 Since then, the body of evidence relating to the multifacetedrelationship between food systems, sustainability and health has increased but there are still many gaps in ourunderstanding of what this means within the Australian context.In Australia, the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council’s 2010 report into food securityemphasised the need to balance the imperative of feeding a growing population with maintaining environmentalintegrity. 1057 However, in easing the pressure on the food system, it is also important to balance nutritionalrequirements for health and the prevention of chronic disease. 97 This highlights the complex challenge faced byhealth professionals, where recommended dietary patterns that meet nutritional needs must also be sustainable— that is, equitable, affordable and considerate of environmental factors. 1042,1056,1058Fostering a sustainable, globally competitive, resilient food supply that supports access to nutritious and affordablefood is the primary aim of the National Food Plan. 1059 Appropriately, health should be considered in sustainablefood systems, where the nutritional requirements of the population can be met without placing pressure onnatural resources. 97,1040,1042,1056 A range of concurrent approaches are required to achieve this, relating primarily tofood production and food consumption.AppendicesNational Health and Medical Research Council131