Beyond nutrition and agriculture policy: collaborating for a food policy

Abstract

Global interest in food policy is emerging in parallel with mounting challenges to the food supply and the rising prevalence of diet-related chronic health conditions. Some of the foundational elements of food policies are agricultural practices, finite resources, as well as economic burdens associated with a growing and ageing population. At the intersection of these interests is the need for policy synchronisation and a better understanding of the dynamics within local, regional and national government decision-making that ultimately affect the wellness of the populous and the safety, quality, affordability and quantity of the food supply. Policies, synchronised or not, need to be implemented and, for the food industry, this has seen a myriad of approaches with respect to condensing complex nutritional information and health claims. These include front and/or back of pack labelling, traffic light systems, etc. but in general there is little uniformity at the more regional and global scales. This translation of the nutritional and health-beneficial messages accompanying specific products to the consumer will undoubtedly be an area of intense activity, and hopefully interaction with policy makers, as the food industry continues to become a more global industry.

Partnering for sustainability in agri-food supply chains: the case of Barilla Sustainable Farming in the Po Valley

“…Other variables are climate change (Kesavan 2015), eating habits, (BCFN 2011), increases in food prices and fuel costs, pesticide pollution, and pest adaptation and resistance (Lichtfouse et al 2009). Moreover, the agricultural activities of the last 50 years have been focussed on maximizing productivity through the adoption of new technologies and modernization of production techniques, such as high-yielding plant varieties, practice of monoculture, and mechanization and use of agrochemicals (BCFN 2011;Bernstein 2014;Stewart et al 2014). On the one hand, these activities resulted in a period of high productivity repeatedly associated with low food prices and, on the other hand, also in intensive and often irreversible exploitation of the natural resources as an effect of soil erosion and decreased fertility, water contamination, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity (BCFN 2011;Kesavan 2015;Lichtfouse et al 2009).…”

NutriLive: An Integrated Nutritional Approach as a Sustainable Tool to Prevent Malnutrition in Older People and Promote Active and Healthy Ageing—The EIP-AHA Nutrition Action Group

“…Strategic policies in agriculture and fisheries may influence public health by affecting the supply, local availability, safety, affordability, and accessibility of foods. So far, agricultural policies have supported the production of sugar, fats and oils, meat and alcohol, while not equally sustaining the supply of fruit and vegetables [23]. Most of the food wheat is industrially processed, and more and more food is consumed outside the home, frequently with a higher content in energy and fat [24].…”

Chinese Solution to Solve the Food Safety Problems: Food Safety Campaign

“…Especially in recent years, some repeatedly occurring serious food safety affairs, such as BSE's burst-out in England, the dioxin and other food incidents, have raised the public concerns over the food safety to an unprecedented level. As food industry contines to be a global industry (Stewart et al, 2014), unsafety food turns into a world issue. And, in response to an apparent decline in global food safety, numerous public and private regulatory initiatives have emerged to restore public confidence (Lin, 2014).…”