全球粮食安全与营养论坛 (FSN论坛)

Send a Cow welcomes the opportunity to comment on the issues note for the forthcoming report by the HLPE on Nutrition and food systems. We support much of it, but would like to draw attention to certain aspects.

Send a Cow works in seven countries in Africa, helping smallholder farmers build the hope and the means to secure their own futures from the land. While our focus is therefore on poor people in rural Africa, we believe that an approach that benefits them can have benefits globally, including in the over-nourished developed world.

1.    It is vital that the report takes a holistic view of nutrition, recognising that food and nutrition cannot be seen in isolation from political, social, economic and environmental factors.

2.    Send a Cow advocates in its programmes a farm systems approach, whereby farmers are encouraged to map out and then optimise all their resources and linkages, whether their own or shared: land, livestock, people, communities, skills, water, crops, access to markets etc. This enables people to build viable farms with minimal external input so they can feed their families a balanced diet, without recourse to food aid.

3.    This agro-ecological approach is beneficial for people and the environment. Even farmers with tiny plots of land can learn how to increase output without encroaching on marginal or forested lands. Farmers can learn how to produce enough food for growing populations while adapting to, or even mitigating, the effects of climate change.

4.    Good food stems from good agriculture. While high-tech supplements can be useful in emergency situations, they must not dominate the nutrition agenda. They encourage poor people to become dependent on external agencies, rather than build their own resilience.

5.    In particular, we do not wish to see more investment in GMO products, which remove farmers’ ability to save seeds. Likewise, we believe that fossil fuel-based fertilisers are an environmentally damaging and costly substitute for animal and green manures.

6.    It is vital that the rights of smallholder farmers, particularly in Africa, take centre stage. They produce most of the world’s food, yet are among the world’s hungriest people. They require investment in skills, extension services, access to credit and savings, access to markets, and land rights.

7.    This is particularly true for women, who make up roughly half of Africa’s smallholder farmers yet receive a small percentage of the assistance. Nutrition awareness training is also vital, as women tend to be in charge of providing meals for the family.

8.    We wish to see investment in local markets, and in smallholder cooperatives that link farmers to better trade deals and contracts. Shifting the focus to local production, away from an export-led model, would also benefit the countries of the developed world. Cheap imports into the developed world not only risk undermining local agriculture, but also encourage over-consumption that is damaging to these populations’ health.

9.    The evidence is strong that this rights-based, holistic approach is effective for the food security and nutrition of Africa’s smallholder farmers. After a recent three-year Send a Cow programme in Uganda, 97% of respondents were eating a balanced diet of more than six different foodstuffs per day, according to the Household Dietary Diversity Score; the average household had eight different foodstuffs per day. Some 87% considered themselves food secure or only mildly food insecure, as measured on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale.

Welthungerhilfe welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Issue Note prepared for the HLPE report on Nutrition and Food Systems. Please find below our comments on the draft:

• The assessment of “the influence of various types of food systems on diets, nutrition and health” should be informed by human rights standards and principles, particularly the right to adequate food. Also, the question if a particular food system responds to the needs and aspirations of the people should be considered.
• Regarding the Sustainable Development Goals the report should not only refer to Goals 2 and 13, but take into account the crucial interlinkages of goals such as Goal 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 with nutrition.
• The analysis of the root causes of malnutrition, apart from its social, environmental and cultural determinants, should also include its political determinants, particularly power imbalances between different actors. At the global level, this would mean to analyze e.g. the influence of international trade rules on food systems.
• In its aim to build “upon multiple sources of evidence, not only academic but also experiential knowledge” the report should particularly take into account traditional knowledge from food production to consumption. It should also assess trends in research on Nutrition and Food Systems (e.g. regarding focus, funding and gaps).
• A cost-benefit analysis of effective food system interventions need to factor in the environmental and social impacts of the different types of food systems which is crucial in terms of their sustainability in the future. The analysis should also cover different policy interventions (e.g. incentives or regulations to foster healthy diets).
• The report should also analyze the evolution of the current global nutrition governance and roles of the different actors who are involved.
• When it says in the Issue note “The report should […] elaborate on concrete solutions to ensure that food systems deliver better nutritional outcomes, in order to propose concrete actions elicited from all stakeholder groups – farmers, processors, retailers, consumers, governments and other public actors – to reduce the triple burden of malnutrition” it should not exclude the powerful role of those at the very first stage who provide inputs for food production (e.g. seeds, fertilizer, pesticides).
• Although the interlinkages between food systems and nutrition are at the focus of the report, the report should acknowledge that health systems are another important determinant for nutrition.

How and why do diets change? How do changes in food systems affect changes of diets, and therefore health and nutritional outcomes?

Thailand has been regarded as the Land of Gourmet Food. The traditional Thai-style diet is serving rice with various dishes. However, several studies have found that during the past 20 years the consumption pattern of the Thai population has changed noticeably.  It was reported that the key points that cause the diets change are social, cultural value and economic.  Thai people, particularly in big city, trend to accept other gourmet food that comes its way. Delocalization and globalization trends also caused changes in Thai dietary patterns.

In big city, the online shopping and social media has developed rapidly. Technology is essential to consumers and this is an issue that will continue. The delocalization process is reflected by the acceptance of new kinds of foods, as well as dining out and ordering food through delivery services.  The traditional food revival trend can be known as the reformation of Thai traditional food practices. In both countryside and urban area, it has been found a shift in the section of spending on meals prepared at home to the ready-to-eat food. As a result of this change, Thai staples and side dishes are being substituted by diets having a higher amount of fats and meat.

The economic structure has also shifted from agricultural sector to industrial sector. Most of the rural Thai or farmers can no longer live solely on their farm land.  Half of their food has to be attained by purchasing. Thus, the household food purchase and individual consumption of the poorer socio-economic groups are likely influenced by food prices, household income, access to the food market, food habits and cultural restrictions, nutrition information and advertisement, tastes and preferences. This situation does not support an adequate consumption of healthy diet.

In considering the diet-related degenerative diseases during the past 20 years, the occurrence of overweight and obesity among kids and young people has increased profoundly. The problem is more obvious in kids from private schools and urban areas than in those from public schools or rural communities. For adults, the problem of overweight and other risk issues for cardiovascular disease have increased considerably.

It is also observed that men and women have their own believes. The young female adolescents and adults are taking upon the idea that good-looking women should be thin. This attitude results in the unhealthy consumption behaviors

Introduction

Within the HLPE report on Nutrition and Food Systems there is a “need to understand the internal drivers of the evolution of food systems and the drivers of consumer’s choices and how both concepts play significant roles in the nutritional development of communities. Within the topics that the report should consider are:

• What are food systems?
• What are the internal and external drivers influencing the evolution of food systems?
• What are the determinants of the changes in consumption?
• What is in practice the range of actionable solutions from farm to fork that enable better nutritional outcomes of food systems?
• What action should different stakeholders, including governments, civil society and the private sector, take?

The report we are commenting on is based on the sustainable development Goal 2 – ending Hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. The primary purpose of this document is to not only provide expertise and feedback to the HLPE steering committee, but to also answer the following questions:

• How have external and internal forces influenced the evolution of food systems?
• How communities determine/capture the heterogeneous (food) consumption patterns?
• How can food hubs be seen as a practical approach to address these patterns?

What is a Food System?

Food systems are traceable paths that aid in the transportation of food as it travels from farm to fork (About Local Food Systems, 2013). They include all connecting and transporting activities, such as the initial production of food, its processing, value- added practices, overall consumption patterns, and ultimate disposal (What is a Food System, n.d.). Stemming back farther than agricultural practices, the presence of food systems can be traced to prehistoric times in which human civilizations lived a more hunter-gatherer lifestyle (History of Food, n.d.). A lifestyle that suggests a relatively simple food system that reflected little to no need or concern for transportation costs, marketing techniques, environmental issues, etc. Since then, food systems have not only become more complex, but have also evolved to accommodate and serve the nutritional and dietary needs of global economies, their surrounding regions, and local communities as well.

Internal and External Drivers of the Evolution of Food Systems

The influences behind the evolution of food systems include many factors such as the socio-demographic characteristics of an area and the environmental issues that must be either combated or resolved. Socio-demographic characteristics include a combination of both demographic and sociological characteristics. For example, demographic characteristics consist of characteristics referring to the age, sex, educational levels and marital status of individuals while sociological characteristics are attributed to the more objective traits of an individual – membership in organizations, household status, interests, values, and social groups (Ask, 2016). Food systems are heavily influenced and altered by the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals residing in various regions and communities. Depending on the demographic characteristics of community and their particular interests, food systems may either be changed or modified. For instance, you may encounter a community where the individuals are younger and more inclined to purchasing locally grown foods, demonstrated by their avid involvement in local farming initiatives. Because of this community’s participation in the consumption of locally grown food, the current food system which may have consisted of consuming food from surrounding areas or regions will be simplified. By encouraging community members to not only grow their own food, but also showcase support of the existing farmers by purchasing their food, trading activities with surrounding areas are decreased, thus impacting and altering food systems.

Prior to the rise in the concern for the environment, food systems activities included basic production and transportation processes, such as the disposal of waste materials and the usage of various gas exhausting vehicles. Eliminating the wastes of farming animals of oftentimes had little to no regulation as their fecal matter was disposed of throughout or near local water supply and drainage systems. As a result, the health of residents of those communities were negatively impacted. To circumvent any further issues and thwart future environmental concerns, statues and limitations were enforced, thus modifying food systems.

The same has occurred with the usage of gas-exhausting vehicles. Extreme gas- exhausting vehicles affect local regions and surrounding communities as they transport commodities and food from one destination to another. Even though these vehicles are delivering much needed commodities to those communities who need them, they are bringing pollution and a plethora of respiratory problems as well. As local communities being to grown their own crops, food, and other commodities, they will begin to decrease their chances of health issues by experiencing cleaner air. Consequently, however, food systems will be affected and will changed for those areas and the surrounding areas in which transportation took place.

What are the determinants of the changes in consumption?

Besides tastes and preferences, there are many reasons why consumers make the decisions they make. From their incomes and expectations of the market to the prices of related goods and their own personal interests, consumers pride themselves on deciding what’s best for them as they make their purchasing decisions. Because of this diversity/heterogeneity of consumers in the choices they make, it is essential that economic development initiatives focus on ways in which enabling better nutritional outcomes of a diverse consumer base is actually achievable.

The expression “no size fits all” can be applied to all economic development efforts. Therefore, applying this phrase to addressing topics related to nutrition and food systems is appropriate as it manages to give the floor to communities as economic developers, city planners, and local health organizations determine their food consumption patterns.

Communities are typically groups of people “living in the same place having a particular characteristic in common” (Community, 2016). A few of the characteristics these constituents in their communities may have include their food consumption patterns; therefore, understanding how they consume, their current health statuses, risks and looming concerns, etc. is crucial. One manner in which more developed communities have been able to keep track of these characteristics labeled above includes investment in the establishment of regional hubs. Regional food hubs are “centrally located [facilities] with business management structures facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products” (Barham, 2010).

Regional food hubs focus on producing products locally. The mechanism of a regional food hub is to manage the activity of aggregation, marketing, and distribution from local producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale and retail of food products. Food hubs have been developed internationally and they are organized by state, county, and city governments; and another institution such as nonprofit organizations and food advocates.

Food hubs have a strategy to connect producers to consumers, when local farmers face challenges to market and distribute their production, the food hub provides a toll mechanism that organizes to find a new market and services for the farmers to enter into the larger markets (Wallace Center, 2014). Regional food hubs have a significant effect on the communities in economic, social and environment sector.

Economically, there is strong evidence that the growth of local food has a positive impact to the local economy, food hubs play important factors for sales performance and helping to preserve and create new jobs in the agricultural food sectors. They are also important in promoting a thriving local economy. Socially, food hubs provide healthy food production, offer business training, and supporting the new and existing project for producer. Environmentally, food hubs support the sustainability of local and regional production, reduce energy use and waste, and reduced pollution. (Aguilar 2015).

Regional Food Hubs is one of many practical approaches to address the “no size fits all” condition of nutrition and food systems in the sense that they collectively capture the food consumption patterns considering the capacities of local producers and local government initiatives.

Conclusion

The primary purpose of this document is to address the matters of food systems evolving, diverse consumption patterns within communities, and how to assess and keep track of the changing consumption patterns in these communities by establishing regional food hubs that will ultimately better the nutritional outcomes of these communities. Given these comments and suggestions, different stakeholders, government legislators, and the members of civil society can take actions by either investing substantial amounts of capital into the emergence of regional food hubs, enforce certain laws and legislative commitments advocating the implementation of regional food hubs alongside local community members teaming together to actively participate in the cultivation of the foods that are healthiest to consume. Collectively and with these efforts, food systems will be altered but for the betterment of communities locally, regionally, and globally, thus promoting Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Aguilar, Krysten. (2015). Creating a Regional Food Hub. La Semilla Food Center. ND.  http://www.lasemillafoodcenter.org/uploads/8/4/6/8/8468672/9._creating_a_regional_food_hub.pdf

About Local Food Systems. (2013). Angelic Organics Learning Centers.  http://www.learngrowconnect.org/about/local-food-systems#foodsystem

Barham, J. (2010). Getting to Scale with Regional Food Hubs. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. http://blogs.usda.gov/2010/12/14/getting-to-scale-with-regional-food-hubs/

Community. (2016). Dictionary.com.  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/community?s=t

Food Hub Collaboration. (2015). Wallace Center Winrock International. ND.  http://www.wallacecenter.org/foodhubcollaboration/

History of Food - Teaching the Food System. (n.d.). A Project of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/teaching-the-food-system/curriculum/_pdf/History_of_Food-Background.pdf   

What does Sociodemographic Mean. (2016). Ask.com. http://www.ask.com/world- view/sociodemographic-mean-cc3b7119d0e7aefe

What is a Food System. (n.d.). Future of Food. http://www.futureoffood.ox.ac.uk/what-  food-system

PREGUNTAS Y RESPUESTAS SOBRE TEMAS DE NUTRICION Y SISTEMAS ALIMENTARIOS

¿Cómo y porque cambian las dietas?

R// Cuando hablamos de dieta, se pretende que las personas, coman saludablemente y la manera de cómo y cuándo lo hacen, ya que los hábitos alimentarios juegan un rol muy importante en el cuerpo humano, las personas cambian los hábitos alimenticios pretendiendo alcanzar un peso adecuado y dejando de lado la buena alimentación,  y no tomando en cuenta que los nutrientes necesarios que el cuerpo humano necesita para mantenerse saludable.

¿Cuáles son los vínculos entre dietas, consumo y hábitos de los consumidores y sistemas alimentarios?

R// El vínculo que existe lo forman los hombres y mujeres que se organizan dentro de las familias para consumir alimentos dependiendo de los diversos factores como la cultura y controlando o regulando la cantidad y tipo de alimentación que proporcionan al organismo, sin importar si cubren o no sus necesidades.

¿Cómo afectan los cambios en los sistemas alimentarios a las dietas, y por lo tanto a la salud y a la nutrición?

R// Es importante mencionar que cuando se cambian los hábitos alimentarios el  cuerpo genera un déficit de calorías, grasas y nutrientes, provocando así enfermedades crónicas no transmisible   y nutricionales.

¿Qué factores son determinantes para los cambios en el consumo?

·         R// Determinantes Biológicos (como el hambre y el sentido del gusto)

·         Determinantes económicos (el costo, los ingresos y la disponibilidad en el mercado)

·         Determinantes Físicos (como el acceso, la educación y el tiempo)

·         Determinantes sociales (la cultura, la familia y los patrones alimentarios)

·         Actitudes, creencias y conocimiento en materia de alimentación.

¿Cómo afecta la dinámica de los sistemas alimentarios a los patrones de consumo?

R// Afecta por medio de sus impactos, ya que los cambios climáticos como las sequias se interponen en la producción de alimentos, la infraestructura de la distribución de los alimentos, llevando una crisis tanto en zonas rurales como urbanas y de esta manera afectando la salud, y  las oportunidades de subsistencia,  de esta manera afectando la seguridad alimentaria.

¿Cómo conformar y creas vías hacia una alimentación sana?

R// Realizando ferias de seguridad alimentaria, fomentando una alimentación sana con actividades físicas, cambiando por medio de educación los estilos de vida saludable, realizando variaciones alimentarias ricas en nutrientes, comiendo adecuadamente , alimentos cocinados por nosotros mismos.

¿Cuál es el papel de las políticas públicas en la promoción de una alimentación sana, nutritiva y culturalmente adecuada para  todos?

R// juegan un papel muy importante ya que se centran en los Elementos ideológicos y legislativos que articulan e inciden en el sistema alimentario, tomando en cuenta una relación alimentaria con la sociedad y la disponibilidad de alimentos y recursos de la población para poder adquirirlos.

¿Cómo aprovechar la diversidad de los actuales sistemas alimentarios?

R// Reduciendo la perdida y el desperdicio de alimentos

Realizando modelos de sostenibilidad de producción y consumo, conservando, creciendo y aumentando la producción agrícola al mismo tiempo que preservamos el medio ambiente, educando a la población y adaptándonos al cambio climático.

En la práctica, ¿Qué soluciones viables se pueden adoptar desde la explosión agrícola hasta la mesa, para mejorar los resultados nutricionales de los sistemas alimentarios?

R//La mejora de los sistemas agrícolas y la bio fortificación alimentarios,  fundamental para el aumento saludable de la población y el ecosistema y que todas las personas tengan un acceso físico, social y económico a suficientes alimentos inocuos para satisfacer sus necesidades alimentarias.

¿Qué medidas deberían adoptar las diferentes partes interesadas, incluyendo los gobiernos, la sociedad civil y el sector privado?

R// Incorporar en los sistemas alimentarios, incentivo al consumo y producción sostenible.

Promover mercados agrícolas y alimentos justos que funcionen adecuadamente.

Disminuir el riesgo y aumentar la capacidad de resistencia de los más vulnerables e invertir en recursos públicos y esenciales, incluida la innovación y la infraestructura.

Many factors have affected our diets today in the developing countries and am focusing especifically on my country which suppose to be the world food basket. A country full of fertile land and water is importing food today. Politics have very much affected our food today. Goverments abandoned agriculture and especially growing enough foods. Urbanization ate the agricultural land for building houses. Farmers left their land to cities where no one is farming. Large scale food projects were abandoned. Advanced communication technology have affected our children who demanded foods imported which is completely different from our cultural foods. Consumption patterns were worthened and chronic diseases afected younger generations as a result of improper nourishment. For poor people the situation is even worse. Food prices are rising as a results of many food retailers and middle men while incomes dicline. Micronutient deficiencies are affecting larger segment of the population and especially school children. Malnutrition coupled with natural and man-made disasters have affected many vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, under five years children and elderly. Thousands of families were displaced from their fertile lands because of wars. Climate change has affected pretty much our food production and consequently food consumption patterns. Life-Style changes in urban areas has very much affected our diets. Eating outside the home and high consumption of fast foods have an effect on our consumption patterns. Peer presure affected to a larger extend the adolescent's diet and consumption patterns. Food as a mean of socialization have an impact also on the changing dietarry patterns. What we call social foods are full of sugar and fats. Snacks are no longer fruits and vegetyables but rather cookies and soft drinks.

Nutrition related diseases are in rising with obesity becoming a public health concern and affecting the poor more as a result of high consumption of high caloric foods with low utritive value and cheap coupled with lack of physical activity and sedentery electronic games performed by children and lack of physical activity for adults too.

It is high time that stakeholders come together in a way they build effective partnership to seek solution for the above complex situation. In my opinion we need bringing back home economics to schools for both gender to set a proper base for our food consumption patterns since early in life. On the other hand food and nutrition expers should partning with each other to seek technical solution to our food system problems 

Global Dairy Platform commend the CFS and HLPE for the approach with this initiative. We believe that providing nutritional security, improving sustainability and reducing the risk of diseases related to poor quality diets will be the defining issues of the 21st Century.

GDP leads the development of a collaborative, unified approach on common dairy industry issues and the nurturing of innovative research so that consumers value milk and dairy products as naturally nutritious, enjoyable and an essential part of a healthy diet. Our membership of CEOs, executives and researchers from corporations, communication and scientific bodies work in partnership to align and support the dairy industry in the promotion of sustainable dairy nutrition.

In the coming decades, a growing and increasingly affluent global population will demand a greater quantity, variety and nutritional value of food than the world has ever produced before. (Putting the New Vision for Agriculture into Action: A Transformation Is Happening. A report by the World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture initiative). NGO’s and world bodies are recognizing the importance of agricultural biodiversity in defining a sustainable food system and diets.  While such recognition is encouraging, the fact is that there is little evidence based knowledge on sustainable food systems and diets to build recommendations and policy upon. It is important to note that changes in one part of the food system will have consequences (intended or unintended) in other parts of the food system, thus the critical requirement for adequate research data.

This creates a potential scenario where, in the rush to promote specific recommendations, incomplete science or poorly constructed research is used. History has shown that conclusions drawn from such research can create unintended consequences for public health, economic resilience, livelihoods and environmental tradeoffs. Sustainability is about finding the balance. 

With the knowledge base of sustainable food systems in its very early stages, we encourage the HLPE to identify and recognize the gaps in current research and to adopt a process that ensures that decisions impacting policy are based on complete, well-designed, evidence-based research.  Where evidence is missing, incomplete or poorly constructed that recognition is given to the work that needs to be undertaken before conclusions can be reached.  

In 2014, an interdisciplinary consensus committee hosted by the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) examined the interdependencies of a sustainable food system.  In early 2015 the IOM released a report detailing conclusions from that committee.  The report, entitled “A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System.”, compared different food systems and suggested that when evaluating food systems consideration must be given to not only human and environmental health, but also social and economic factors. (IOM 2015 A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System http://iom.nationalacademies.org/Reports/2015/Food-System.aspxDaly’s) The report concluded that a framework is needed, encourages inter-disciplinary research and that conclusions at this time are not prudent.  We would encourage a framework and lens of questions that span social, economic, environmental mitigation and adaptive frameworks for food systems.

The Sustainable Development Goals is a starting framework for sustainable food systems.  The dairy sector contributes more than just nourishing foods to the world’s population. Every day, the lives of nearly one billion people globally are sustained through contact with the dairy sector in rural communities in all corners of the world. Families find daily nourishing strength and maintain positive health. Women are empowered and children receive adequate nutrition for learning and achieving their potential. Family farmers care responsibly for livestock and strive to make their land better for future generations.

In particular, dairy uniquely provides for billions of people to receive important nutritional benefits from consuming milk and dairy products. Dairy foods nutrient-rich packages provides not just basic nutrition but better nutrition.  Ongoing research continues to provide a deeper understanding of the nutritional value people get from food. 

The dairy sector is essential to growing inclusive and transformative economies.  The dairy sector makes an impact on improving livelihoods and social inequity through the social fabric of rural communities. Diary has an active role in alleviating poverty and unemployment.  It also acts as an economic multiplier in rural economies as dairy acts as an enabler of agriculture.  Of particular importance to traditional disadvantaged segments of society-small landholders, landless laborers and women, dairy can provides a transformative economic solution.  There are approximately 121 million dairy farms in the world today, supporting a long tradition of milk production through cooperative structures or selling directly for consumption.  Globally, there are approximately 600 million family members living on dairy farms, caring responsibility for livestock and tending to land management.   In addition there are a further 400 million additional family members supported by the jobs that are created “downstream” such as milk collection, processing and retail.

Dairy products can enable and support the foundations for food security and peace. Milk product and consumption are the most important stable resources of year round cash flow and nutritional intake for rural populations. Families, and specifically women, are empowered by their social responsibility for cattle rearing and dairy production, resulting in food security at both the household and national level and income for farmers.  Diary as an income generation tool can provide affordability and contribution for the basic necessities - food, water; shelter and clothing - of life.

Climate adaptive agriculture is ever more imperative and the dairy cow is uniquely suited to cycle carbon while producing nutrient dense foods.  Yield improvements, feed efficiencies, use of human food by-products and manure use can help better contribute to food systems not only for dairy but for the rest of agriculture. Frequently, dairy farmers are not just dairying but also farming other forms of agriculture to cycle nutrients of feed, fiber, and nutrients.  Mitigation and adaptation is recognized within the global dairy industry who have developed the Global Development Agenda for Action Sustainability Framework.  The framework categorizes 11 continuous improvement areas. Currently 17% of the global milk production, over half a million farmers and nearly 18 million cows participate in the framework.

We again thank the panels for providing broad thought provoking questions and hope that the panel will encourage an inclusive and diverse approach to developing a framework for the discussions. We have attached a compendium of research we have tracked on the topic to help the panel’s research library.  Below please find our specific comments on the thoughts raised:

- What are the links between diets, consumption and consumer habits and food systems?

·         GDP agrees with the framework described in the IOM report referenced earlier and the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and research. To address the links between diet and health, we also would recommend that the HLPE explore current reliable science based indicators on human health, and believe that Disability Adjusted Life Years may represent the best approach of examining the intersection between nutrition and the environment on health. (Stylianou et al., 2015. A life cycle assessment framework combining nutritional and environmental health impacts of diet: a case study on milk. International J or LCA, 2015). We would encourage the HPLE research teams to continue to invest in research that identifies validated indicators that bridge nutrition and environmental impacts on health.

- What are the determinants of the changes in consumption?

·         All foods can fit into a healthy, sustainable diet. We must be mindful of whole patterns of balanced eating as opposed to focusing solely on limiting or encouraging one type of nutrient, food or food group in the diet for either nutritional or environmental purposes.

·         Overconsumption, in general, continues to be a problem throughout the world and contributes to the obesity epidemic. Additionally, food waste is a major problem in developed nations.  We recommend that attention be given to helping to reduce both overconsumption and food waste.

·         When making recommendations, we need to be careful to not pick foods and recommendations that could have profound impact on the environment because of their limited availability and trade-offs. We need to make the most of available foods and be mindful of recommendations that could have trade-off implications.  With diets, a reduction or recommended substitute usually means an increase in consumption of another food sources.  Having the discussion of trade-offs and striving to avoid unintended consequences is important.  For example, making recommendations to consume more fish could have unintended consequences if the entire food system is not considered. For example, is there enough fish available to meet population-wide recommendations? What is the environmental impact of overfishing? Will those who do not eat fish regularly begin eating fish? Will increasing fish availability lead to more food waste? These questions, and more, need to be considered before making blanket recommendations to either increase or decrease the consumption of different food groups. 

·         Economics will play a larger role in food systems and dietary patterns as a rising global middle class emerges.

·         Another example that shows the importance of multidimensional decision making is the drawback of recommending foods based on a single sustainability indicator such as carbon emissions and not considering, for example, the nutritional benefit contributed to the diet (What Current Literature Tells Us about Sustainable Diets: Emerging Research Linking Dietary Patterns, Environmental Sustainability, and Economics. Adv Nutr. 2015 Jan; 6(1): 19–36. Nancy Auestad and Victor L Fulgoni, II). 

Many existing research papers have taken this approach, but as noted by the following research, this approach can lead to flawed recommendations. 

“The carbon footprint, estimated through GHGEs, has become an important criterion for assessing the environmental sustainability of alternative diets. In the current analyses, sweets, syrups, and soft drinks were associated with lowest GHGEs whether expressed per calories or per grams. However, even though sugar and sweets may have a low environmental impact, they cannot be viewed as the most-sustainable foods because the FAO definition of sustainable diets makes a direct reference to population well-being and health (2).” (Adam Drewnowski, Colin D Rehm, Agnes Martin, Eric O Verger, Marc Voinnesson, and Philippe Imbert Am J Clin Nutr 2015;101:184–91.)

·         Energy and nutrient density of foods in relation to their overall carbon footprint is needed, but also environmental considerations such as carbon cycling, soil, water use and quality and biodiversity. Thus a framework or multidimensional model approach is needed.

- How to build on the diversity of the existing food systems?

·         Continue to encourage investment in the farming community and the farming system.

·         Invest in improving the infrastructure required to produce, transport, and store food.

·         Recommend and consider the global interconnectedness of the food system. Consideration needs to be given to global trade. Food based recommendations will need to consider the reliance of countries on imports and economic volatility related to price and climate shocks. Special attention will need to be given on climate change adaptation strategies for growing and sourcing food.  Investment of food resources and infrastructure need to be diverse and non-speculative.

·         Embrace the complexity. The panel should be careful to not oversimplify the impact of cultural elements on food choices.  

- What is in practice the range of actionable solutions from farm to fork that enable better nutritional outcomes of food systems?

·         Solutions should be developed and evaluated for both developed and developing economies. 

·         In general recommendations to reduce both food waste and overconsumption will have beneficial impacts on the environment, economy and overall health.

·         Encouraging responsible financial investment in the food sector. Currently, investments in the food and agriculture sector are limited due to the volatility of food commodities and global economic climate.  While an increase in investment is needed, it must be non-speculative and made with responsible investment strategies to encourage sustainable growth.

·         Encourage research in food loss and co-product utilization of agriculture foods.  We are starting to see that many co-products in agriculture can help create more bio-based resilient products that offset fossil fuel based products. Encouraging research and innovation for climate adaptive agriculture solutions is critical.

·         Advances in food technology to assist with food preservation and reduction in food losses in developing and developed countries.

·         Investment and research in sustainable technologies that optimize resiliency and mitigation for growing food.  Technologies should be reviewed on outcome based metrics and multi-dimensions e.g.) less inputs, improved soil, improved resiliency, less water, less carbon, improved soil and biodiversity. (ie technologies that meet a multidimensional sustainable and health improvement outcomes such as less nitrogen fertilizer and less water and improve nutrition and production efficiencies) .

·         Encourage and promote accessibility to food in developing countries and in developed countries promoting investment in food deserts

·         Continue to fund evidence based research on feeding people well.

·         In the question posed by the panel it asks for actionable solutions from farm to fork. If we are going to start to cycle food and nutrients as part of a food system, we would encourage the panel to consider food systems that are not only farm to fork but fork to farm.   Dairy uniquely can help in cycling inedible food stuffs and converting it to nutrient dense foods because the dairy cows, a ruminant animal, is able to convert the inedible foods to high quality proteins.  Manure can also be a beneficial soil amendment and fertilizer.  For developing worlds reduction in food waste is important but recovery through animal feeds and manure to create biogas and fertilizers can help with creating a more sustainable food systems.  

- What action should different stakeholders, including governments, civil society and the private sector, take?

·         We would like to encourage the panel to take a holistic approach and not demonize any one food or food group.  There is more than one sustainable food system and multiple diets/food systems will be needed for people throughout the world to adapt lifestyles that benefit both the environment and human health.  The panel may want to commence the project by stating that everyone should have access to healthy foods in quantities needed to sustain life.

·         This is a grand challenge and, as such, everyone (e.g., industry, academics, not-for-profits, government, etc.) should be welcome at the table and help to achieve the goals. We encourage that the actions and decisions of the panel be made within the context of total food systems. The committee should work with the National Academy of Science in the United States and other agencies of comparable statue globally.  We encourage the panel to create an environment where people from many disciplines can participate and collaborate.   An example of a multidisciplinary research program that has been successful in driving investment in research, innovation, and information sharing is the human genome project. Given the complexity of the topic, the panel would be wise to ensure active collaboration and that the appropriate infrastructure is present to support the pursuit of sustainable nutrition.

·         Finally when looking at the question of sustainable nutrition we also must remember Nutrition is a scientific discipline and sustainability is a question to examine within that discipline.  Therefore we need to ensure that the right metrics for evaluating sustainability within the context of nutrition are developed and validated.

As publisher of the oldest, still-in-print magazine servicing the milling industry globally (we were founded in June 1891 and celebrate 125 years old this year), I feel complelled on behalf of all  previous publishers and editors of this long-standing journal to speak out on how the milling industry might assist in meeting the food demands of a growing world population and reduce malnutrition and hunger.

I served as the Secretary General of the International Feed Industry Federation (which I  co-founded in 1987) for 22 years until 2010. I was instrumental in formulating and establishing the cliche that the world would need 'to feed 9.5 billion people by 2050' in the early 1990s, after studying US Bureau of Statistics data that showed a plateauing of population increases beyond 2050 and for the rest of the millennium.

Cereals are essential to human life and today wheat alone accounts for every seventh calorie we consume. Domesticated livestock are not consuming crops and other vegetable matter that we would happily eat - on the contary, they take by-products from all kinds of industries including the food industry and transform them into valuable protein foodstuffs which we enjoy eating and allow us to reach our genetic potential both physically and mentally. For example, just 10 US biscuit-making companies produce by-product that when processed correctly provides over one million tonnes of valuable protein and energy rich ingredient for livestock feeding!

My point is that the feed indstry can, if provided with the right support, meet the challenge of feeding the world's hungry of today and satisfy the demand of future mouths through providing the necesary meat, milk, eggs and fish required that is both safe and affordable.

Please review my short pdf presentation attached that explaiins my considered reasoning on a way forward in meeting the challenge 'to feed 9.5 nbillion people by 2050' in the context of your request for feedback, views and comments for the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) report on 'Nutrition and Food Systems' through the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE). Thankyou.

Yours sincerely

Roger Gilbert

Publisher - Milling and Grain and International Aquafeed magazines