EVENT: Transforming food systems for healthier diets – What does it mean & how to do it
Healthy diets are necessary to fuel thriving communities, nations, and economies. The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition commissioned the Food systems and diets: Facing the challenges of the 21st century Foresight report in 2015 to assess the extent to which food systems are delivering healthy diets today and whether they are fit for the future. This report shows that unless policy makers act decisively to control overweight, obesity and diet-related disease and accelerate efforts to reduce undernutrition, all countries will pay a heavy price in terms of mortality, physical health, mental well-being, economic losses and degradation of the environment. The report also sets out clear priorities for action at national and international levels, as well as detailed advice and guidance, which will be of practical and immediate use to decision makers.
This presentation and panel discussion by the authors and World Bank Group experts provided the opportunity to understand what a high-quality diet means, why it is important to speak in these terms, the key role that food systems play in improving diet quality, and how can food systems be leveraged to deliver improved diets using a decision-making tool that helps identify actions at different entry points of the food system. The discussion ended with Q&A from in person and connected via-audio/ WEBEX audience.
Presenters
Emmy Simmons, Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition Panel Member, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa/Agree
Patrick Webb, Professor, Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Director for USAID’s Feed the Future Nutrition Innovation Lab; and in charge of the US Government’s Food Aid Quality Review. He is also Technical Adviser at the Global Panel.