Can we eat our way to a healthy and ecologically sustainable food system?

Authors

  • Barbara Seed Independent food and nutrition policy consultant
  • Cecilia Rocha School of Nutrition, Ryerson University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i3.258

Keywords:

sustainable diets, Canada's dietary guidelines, policy, Canada's Food Guide

Abstract

The food system is a major contributor to climate change, biodiversity loss, eutrophication and deforestation. This article examines national dietary guidelines as a way to shift dietary patterns in the population toward diets that continue to promote health while being more ecologically sustainable. While some sustainability principles may be inherent in the 2007 Canada’s Food Guide (e.g., an emphasis on plant-based foods), these were not made explicit. As Health Canada undertakes a revision of its national dietary guidance, a unique opportunity exists to situate dietary guidelines within the broader context of Canada’s first-ever national food policy. Coherence between these two policies has the potential to position the role of diets as a core link between food systems and both human and ecological health. This paper explores the possibilities of advancing sustainability principles within Canadian national dietary guidelines by drawing on evidence-based literature and key sustainability messages within dietary guidelines from four countries that have integrated many of these principles. Lessons and perspectives from international experiences on incorporating environmental sustainability into dietary guidelines are described including: influence of the food industry; cross-sector collaboration and alliances; civil society participation; and “win-win” messages. Application of these lessons to Canada, followed by opportunities to advance the incorporation of sustainability principles within the country’s national dietary guidelines are then proposed.

 

Author Biographies

Barbara Seed, Independent food and nutrition policy consultant

Barbara Seed a Registered Dietitian with a PhD in food policy. Barbara is currently working as a consultant in food and nutrition policy, focusing on integrating nutrition, food systems and the environment.

Cecilia Rocha, School of Nutrition, Ryerson University

Professor Cecilia Rocha is the Director and Professor, School of Nutrition, Ryerson University, a Research Associate, Centre for Studies in Food Security and a Member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems.

Downloads

Published

2018-09-30

How to Cite

Seed, B., & Rocha, C. (2018). Can we eat our way to a healthy and ecologically sustainable food system?. Canadian Food Studies La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 5(3), 182–207. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i3.258