Note by Sylvie Avallone on “Food systems and nutrition”
SupAgro International Center for Higher Education in Agricultural Sciences
Nutripass Research unit “Food and nutrition research in the global South”
(Institut de Recherche pour le Développement / Université de Montpellier / SupAgro)
Focus on production and processing
Thanks to the HLPE steering committee for this interesting initiative on Food systems and nutrition. In the context of sustainable development, an important challenge is to find a balance between increasing agricultural productivity, environmental outcomes and human welfare. The best way of preventing nutritional disorders is to ensure consumption of a balanced diet to fullfil requirements in all essential nutrients. This is not achievable everywhere because of environmental constraints, social inequities, limited access to nutrient-rich food and dietary habits. A food system includes all stakeholders and infrastructures involved in feeding a population at a territory or national scale. As food systems greatly differ according to agroecological areas within a country, we invite the Project Team’s experts to carefully define the scale they will use to highlight the relationship between food systems and nutrition. The territorial scale is more relevant for nutrition assessment.
In the past century, agriculture has increased productivity through mechanization, fertilization, pesticides, and selective breeding. In low income countries, many agricultural projects aimed to improve food security and nutrition. However, evidence is lacking that these interventions have had an impact on the nutritional status. A decline in food nutrient content was attributed to a dilution effect due to varietal selection mainly based on yield. Furthermore, intensification of cash-crop production and conventional agriculture with chemical fertilizers and pesticides impair local resources (soil fertility, biodiversity). Meanwhile, organic farming and agroecology are attracting more interest. The Project Team’s experts should make a synthesis of the current debate on agriculture to highlight how farmers can produce more nutrient-rich-food while preserving the environment.
Depending on the type of food system, processing is done at household, small scale or industrial level. The first purpose of processing is to stabilize the food products with post harvest technology which contributes to food security. Worldwide, trends indicate an increasing contribution of processed foods to the diet diversity of consumers. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with a higher prevalence of obesity and metabolic diseases. Food industry has the potential to improve nutrient profiles or physiological performance of processed food with reformulation, fortification, and functionalization strategies. However, most large food industries manufacture ultra-processed foods which provide nutrients which consumption should be limited (fat, salt and sugar). When consumed inappropriately or at inordinately high proportions of a total diet, ultra-processed foods are deleterious to health. Food fortification has a special place is the debate. Food fortification with vitamins and minerals was implemented on large scale because it can yield rapid nutritional and health effects on consumers. But it does not generate income and empowerment of vulnerable populations. Again, the Project Team’s experts should make a synthesis on how small processors and the food industry could contribute to build sustainable food systems more sensitive to nutrition outcomes.
To develop food systems sensitive to nutrition issues, actionable solutions have to be identified with a systemic approach and scaled up. Knowledge gaps still exist between the actions of each stakeholder and nutrition outcomes. Researches on metrics and pathways need to be further developed. According to the literature, market development of nutrient-rich food and of diversified productive systems including local smallholders is a promising strategy in terms of food security and development. In low-income countries, capacity building of farmers, cooperatives, small processors, government and civil society is still key to providing stakeholders equal opportunities to participate in the debate at national and international level. The stakeholders are interdependent and constructive discussions have to be scheduled in the political agenda to empower local communities and social groups (farmers, women) and better share the added-value of food systems.
AVALLONE SYLVIE