FReSH insight report SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY DIETS: Reviewing existing dietary guidelines and identifying gaps for future action Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH) thanks the following companies for their contributions: FReSH Healthy and Sustainable Diets group leaders: FReSH Healthy and Sustainable Diets group members: FReSH insight report: Sustainable and Healthy Diets 2 Content 1. The FReSH context 4 2. Understanding existing dietary guidelines 5 5 Country-level dietary guidelines observations 6 Food group-specific observations 9 National advisory committee guidelines that incorporate sustainability 10 Generalizing food-based dietary guidelines 11 Classifying food-based dietary guidelines 3. Defining population targets for diet improvements 22 4. Consumption data 23 5. Gap identification 25 6. Gap prioritization 32 7. Emerging areas for nutrition 36 8. Key takeaways 37 9. Conclusion and outlook 38 FReSH insight report: sustainable and healthy diets 3 1. The FReSH context FReSH (Food Reform for Sustainability In addition to the need to address For this report, 12 geographically and Health) is a key WBCSD (World societal and environmental diverse countries were selected, Business Council for Sustainable urgency, improving food systems prioritizing those with significant Development) project which emerged also provides a significant global populations and cultural diversity, from our partnership with EAT in business opportunity. While it is from USA to Nigeria. The existing response to the accelerating global acknowledged that every business dietary guidelines and actual problem our planet and people has to promote its own products in consumption data were compared are facing: one-third of the food order to make profits, there are many spanning a range of regions and levels produced is lost or wasted and 40% of examples of how making profits and of development and, in some cases, agricultural soil is degraded, yet 800 “doing good” can be combined. The considering different age segments million people are undernourished potential value for a worldwide food of the population. and food insecurity is generating civil and agriculture system in line with unrest. In addition, 2 billion adults the Sustainable Development Goals We added three countries later on, are overweight, leading to increased (SDGs) is estimated at USD $ 2.3 based on matching priority countries numbers of noncommunicable trillion at current prices. For instance, from other related projects. We diseases and associated healthcare reducing food waste in the value chain collected actual consumption data for costs in both the developing and the is estimated to be worth up to these countries using national survey developed world. Fixing this broken USD $ 405 billion a year by 2030, while data and public databases where system can’t be done through a low-income food markets could see available. The gaps between national piecemeal process. It requires a up to USD $ 265 billion in revenue dietary recommendations and actual full-scale transformation. growth.1 consumption per country and age segment were based on available Where traditionally the focus of national environmental and nutrition efforts to address food system guidelines. In some cases, we used FReSH aims to develop sustainability issues was on farm to proxy data where actual consumption business solutions that fork, data not been published. From it is now time to look at these : putting consumer these, we have started to identify create healthy, enjoyable from fork to farm diets for all, produced needs and desires at the heart of discrepancies between the guidelines solutions to enable longer term and the consumption data. Where responsibly, within consumption shifts while taking a a local recommendation does planetary boundaries by complete value chain approach that not exist, the consumption data 2030. Acknowledging that links food consumption to production, can be compared to a globalized distribution and agriculture. recommendation taken from business has played a key reasonable averages among the role in the food system To that aim, FReSH members worked various guidelines. both on the positive together in 2017 and early 2018 to analyze state of the art production This work has informed our and the negative side, systems in the world food system recommendations for intervention FReSH members are – covering the full value chain from areas for each country and on a global joining forces to develop consumption to production – level. We acknowledge that in the solutions providing and potential intervention areas. coming years much more information and research will become available healthy, enjoyable diets This report summarizes the findings that will provide more detailed data on for all whilst contributing of the Healthy and Sustainable Diets dietary guidance and gaps to close. to socioeconomic group, which investigated healthy and sustainable diet types based This report only highlights the development and on broad scientific agreement. The situation as it stands in 2017/2018. minimizing (and eventually report is assisting FReSH members eliminating) environmental as a first science-based guide for impacts and waste. possible intervention areas for dietary shifts and business solutions to close dietary gaps to benefit people’s health within planetary boundaries. 1 Business and Sustainable Development Commission. (2017). Retrieved from: Better Business Better World https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/2399BetterBusinessBetterWorld.pdf FReSH insight report: sustainable and healthy diets 4 2. Understanding existing dietary guidelines Country-level dietary guidelines observations We selected 12 globally diverse countries covering Country-level dietary guideline observations each of the key global regions, • Where available, the sustainable food-based dietary guidelines representing a significant all point in the same direction. population size, with both • Energy consumption to match requirements through food urban and rural communities choices, which provide all essential nutrients, is a key point and with various dominant in all guidelines. age groups to have a good • Some countries are more specific with respect to recommended spread of food systems and amounts to be consumed (e.g. meat and dairy) than others. nutrition habits globally. • In guidelines where there is no focus on sustainability, there is more We inventoried existing dietary focus on consumption of lean meat (and not so much on limiting guidelines related to the intake of (red/processed) meat). 12 identified countries and • For the other food groups there does not seem to be much others, with special interest in difference between guidelines that take the environment into those already incorporating account and the ones that do not (yet). This confirms the results of several modelling/scenario studies in different countries, sustainability-inspired suggesting that eating according to national dietary guidelines recommendations. would already reduce environmental impact. Inventory of selected current existing dietary guidelines by country and region Table 1. Region Country (*selected 12) Type of guideline in place (year of release) USA* Nutrition only, sustainability inclusion rejected (2015) North America Argentina Nutrition only (2016) Latin America Brazil* Nutrition and sustainability (2014) Colombia Nutrition only (2014) Costa Rica* Nutrition only (2011) Mexico* Nutrition only (2013) France* Nutrition and sustainability (2017) Europe Germany Nutrition and sustainability (2013) Italy* Nutrition only (2003) Netherlands Nutrition and sustainability (2015) Norway Nutrition and sustainability (2015) Spain* Nutrition with some sustainability aspects (2016) Sweden Nutrition and sustainability (2015) UK* Nutrition with some sustainability aspects (2016) Qatar Nutrition and sustainability (2015) Middle East Saudi Arabia* Nutrition only (2012) China* Nutrition and sustainability (2016) Asia India* Nutrition only (2011) Indonesia Nutrition only (2014) Thailand Nutrition only (2001) Nigeria* Nutrition only (2006) Africa FReSH insight report: sustainable and healthy diets 5 Food group-specific observations Meat Fish Dairy • A recurring common guideline • Countries with sustainability • All sustainability guidelines (for both sustainability and guidelines mostly recommend recommend daily consumption conventional guidelines) is to eat consuming fish one or two times (two to four portions) of low-fat, a diversity of protein-rich foods, per week. Countries with a strong low-sugar dairy products. including those from plant sources. fish culture recommend slightly higher consumption (e.g. Spain and • Some guidelines (Qatar and • There is overall guidance to eat Sweden) with two to three times per Sweden) recommend choosing less fresh and processed meat, week. dairy products fortified with with preference for non-ruminant/ vitamin D or plant-based white meat and lean red meat when • Variation in the consumption alternatives fortified with consumed. of low-fat and oily fish is calcium and vitamin D. recommended and two countries • The five countries with the (Germany and Sweden) also give • The conventional guidelines clearest sustainability guidelines guidance on sustainable sourcing. are in line with the above. (China, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom) give • The conventional guidelines guidance on type and amounts to are in line with the above. be consumed and are very much aligned, with guidance amounts