Thank you for taking into accounts the following ideas I kindly suggest despite their limitation due to the broadness of the subject:
- How and why do diets change?
I have observed that diet is relied on a personal choice which is influenced by Environment (available and marketed local products, habits, fashion, lifestyle, money, weather, and mood) and the feeling of a physical status (resulting from pregnancy and physical activities like hungry, thirsty). It changes through life cycle, is different for man and women, societal status …
- What are the links between diets, consumption and consumer habits and food systems?
Earnings, economic constraints, marketing and more important are information on products (that is said may fulfill a diet). Network of counseling is spontaneous (between maternal, parental, young people …) in order to look for the “better” cost to benefit, or means (capability) to starvation – in Madagascar, staple food is more than common.
- How do changes in food systems affect changes of diets, and therefore health and nutritional outcomes?
A good food system must offer diversified and low cost products, adapted to habits and beliefs.
- What are the determinants of the changes in consumption?
Health constraint (benefits to health – healthy diet), food costs, food taste, means of cooking (cooking material, whether adapted to coal …), and ease of cooking (boiling water …), product availability, confidence (healthiness, sanitation), knowledge, education, information.
- How do the dynamics of food systems drive consumption patterns?
Consumption patterns may be driven by a food system that has the means of offering universal coverage (in time – life cycle and group of ages – and in geographic space).
- How to shape and to address pathways to healthy nutrition?
In order to shape and address pathways to healthy nutrition, we must educate (prioritizing health and physical performance or wellness first, then taste, qualities and quantities). Consumption habits may come with economic means.
- What is the role of public policy in promoting healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food for all?
Public policy should promote products with minimum standard level of nutrition requirements by country. School and food professional must have standard costs for such nutritious products. Each country must have a universal value chain for such nutritious products. People must have knowledge of good and healthy eating habits. Social protection policy and plan must provide poor and vulnerable people (particularly women and children among them, where either they are), with minimum daily nutritious food requirement.
- How to build on the diversity of the existing food systems?
The diversity of the existing food systems may help promote growing local, daily and fresh products consumption; their use in promoting local restaurant specialties, and market. The better is a local or regional product (from taste to price), the better its adoption by consumers (by group of age, at national level). Market information system (MIS) must be nutrition oriented.
- What is in practice the range of actionable solutions from farm to fork that enable better nutritional outcomes of food systems?
With respect to food preference in a country, the food systems must aim first to promote daily consumption by all groups of ages of adequate nutritional food either grown or prepared locally. It should ensure minimum loss (with the right packaging and/or quantity) and full confidence (sanitation and quality labels), at all daily reselling, packaging and consumer points.
In order to provide full coverage of population and respond to market needs, the food system must provide adequate knowledge and information to all stakeholders (price, availability, quality, nutrition facts …).
- What action should different stakeholders, including governments, civil society and the private sector, take?
Recognize the need of holistic approach, including gender approach.
Most important is the private sector that must fulfill population need.
The government must provide incentive to private sectors for all questions regarding food systems and nutrition.
The civil society must ensure that the access to nutritious food is universal (by contributing to better coverage and counseling).
Nestor MAHAZOASY