EDITOR'S NOTE
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FORWARD THINKING IS FOOD FOR THOUGHT
There is little doubt that consumers are wanting
better packaging that is more sustainable, minimal
and with appropriate levels of information.
The days of ‘duping’ the customer by reducing
sizes of products that they have known, loved and
enjoyed, are gone. Up front, in your face is the
new packaging trend to meet the needs of what is
now a far more discerning customer.
While the trend for eating cleaner, more
sustainable and with greater awareness of source
will continue, pressure on food producers will no
doubt increase as food waste becomes a greater
issue for many.
And all that while we see a move to plant-based
food solutions. Exciting times to be in the food
industry!
IS NEW ZEALAND’S FOOD
SYSTEM UNSUSTAINABLE?
New research from Massey University’s College of Health shows overwhelming
support for sustainability characteristics to be included in the Eating and
Activity Guidelines for New Zealand Adults, set out by the Ministry of Health.
Calls for action to meet the United
Nations Sustainable Development
Goals highlight food as the single
strongest lever to optimise health and
environmental sustainability.
Associate Professor Carol Wham from the
School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition says
national guidelines represent a key opportunity
for policy makers to address food consumption
patterns, and several countries have taken the
lead to include sustainable diet characteristics
into their guidelines.
This research found 77% of 298 agriculture,
environment and health sector professionals
supported the inclusion of sustainability
characteristics. In particular there was high
agreement to promote whole foods, sustainable
seafood, sustainable lifestyle behaviours (i.e.
physical activity), limit processed foods and
reduce food waste.
Dr Wham says two thirds of respondents (63%)
believe New Zealand’s current food system is
not sustainable, however there was a divergence
of opinion by sector. “More than half (57%) of
the agriculture sector respondents believe New
Zealand’s food system is sustainable, compared
to less than 15% of respondents from the health
and environmental sectors.”
Disagreement between sectors has been
demonstrated in other countries and previously
led to the abandonment of environmental
sustainability considerations into Australia’s
National Food Plan, Dr Wham says. “In the
United States, where dietary guidelines are
jointly developed by both the US Departments
of Health and Agriculture, opposing sector
opinions have led to nothing changing. By
contrast, in Qatar, food sustainability principles
are integrated into national dietary guidelines.
With little domestic food production this would
seem unlikely but it seems strong authority of
the Supreme Council of Health (supported by an
Emirate government) and a lack of food industry
influence, facilitated the process.”
This is the first study internationally to assess the
degree of convergence between sectoral groups
for the inclusion of sustainability characteristics
into national dietary guidelines.
“This research has brought together a diverse
range of professional expertise that spans the
agriculture, environment and health sectors.
Findings should be of interest to government
sectors that can influence sustainability and
health, for example, departments or ministries
of health, education, primary industries, regional
development, agriculture, food and finance,” she
says.
Although academics have been promoting
sustainability in dietary guidelines since the
1980s, currently no country meets basic dietary
needs for its citizens at a globally sustainable
level of resource use, Dr Wham says.
“The environmental impact of our food systems
is already very evident in New Zealand - we have
damaged ecosystems, depleted fish stocks, soil
degradation and loss of biodiversity, with more
change still to come.”
CHIT CHAT
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