Our people, our food, our planet

Abstract

<jats:p>Video link: Our people, our food, our planet: Sustainable food systems policy in the Pacific&#x0D; Pacific Island Countries and Territories are facing a health crisis with non communicable diseases (NCDs) currently accounting for more than 80% of deaths. In the 21st century, advances in health intervention and policy render this figure unacceptable. Multiple risk factors contribute to the NCD crisis; a leading driver being obesity due to changing dietary practices arising from the global food system. A system which is dominated by processed foods high in starch and sugars. This situation is compounded by changes in the natural and built environments relating to climate change. Tackling this issue is beyond the sole domain of public health and is, therefore, more suited to a planetary health approach. This paper applies a sustainable food systems approach to analysing NCD policy developments in the Pacific region. In particular, three domains of policy which impact diets in the Pacific are examined: food production, climate change and sustainability, and trade. It is argued that countering the NCD crisis demands a global multisectoral approach, with governments leading the way, to develop integrated policy and interventions that will secure the future wellbeing and protection of our people, our food, our planet.</jats:p>

What Do We Know about the Diets of Pacific Islander Adults in Papua New Guinea? A Scoping Review

“…Nutrition transition is the concept used in the literature to describe the evolving dietary patterns within societies, marked by a shift from traditional, locally sourced diets to more processed and ultra-processed foods and beverages, which are less nutrient dense and high in deleterious nutrients, such as saturated fat, added sugar and salt [3][4][5]. The nutrition transition has also been accompanied by lifestyle changes, including less physical activity and loss of farming practices as a result of urbanisation [6]. This shift has implications for public health, particularly the increased risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).…”

Effectiveness of NCD-Related Fiscal Policies: Evidence from the Pacific

“…Nevertheless, there is substantial agreement that nutrition transitions from traditional plant and seafood-based diets to diets high in processed, imported foods are at the core of the obesity epidemic in PICs. Imported foods, predominantly food products high in unhealthy meat, salt, sugar and unhealthy fats, now constitute 60-100% of the food supply across the region [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Comparisons of data between national nutrition surveys undertaken in the early 2000s and 8-11 year follow-up surveys indicate that fruit and vegetable consumption in PICs is low [11,12] and decreasing in some PICs, including Tonga, Tokelau, Solomon Islands and Nauru [12].…”

“…Furthermore, one modelling exercise undertaken on Solomon Islands suggested that a 40% tax on SSBs would directly reduce type 2 diabetes in the population by up to 24,000 cases, and any taxation policy raising consumer costs by 20% or more would significantly reduce consumption of these products [20]. Given these potential beneficial effects, fiscal policies have been a key consideration at national and regional PIC discussions of NCD-related interventions over the last two decades [5,21].…”