Regional Symposium: Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets in Europe and Central Asia
Achieving healthy diets, adequate nutrition, good health and wellbeing for all in a sustainable manner while managing responsibly natural resources are at the core of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. Economic growth and rising incomes have nearly eliminated hunger and undernutrition in Europe and Central Asia. However, malnutrition in various forms still persist and co-exist in various proportions with noticeable differences between countries in the region with more than 55 percent of adults in Europe and Central Asia region being overweight or obese and millions suffering from anaemia, iodine, zinc, or vitamins A and D deficiencies. Low quality diets is number one risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and a main contributor to high DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Years) values in the region, especially in countries of Eastern Europe with rapid rise in income levels over the last two decades.