Reshaping Food Systems to improve Nutrition and Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Reshaping Food Systems to improve Nutrition and Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Author: Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Published: 2023-01-09

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1800648669

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This detailed and comprehensive study examines nutrition and health in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region, presenting the six game-changing food systems actions proposed by the WHO and the progress of their implementation in the region. The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region is a particularly complex place to study: an area of economic contrasts with changing dietary patterns and stark differences between high levels of malnutrition and a prevalence of overweight and obesity. As a result, actions to improve the nutritional situation of the population are urgently sought. The strategies explored in this book offer a unique opportunity to change food systems all over the world, addressing aspects including sustainable food production, the impact of marketing and labelling on behaviour, and the effect of global events such as climate change, war and the COVID-19 pandemic. Reshaping Food Systems is an essential read at a time when malnutrition in all its forms, including undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity, pose a serious threat to global health, and is of particular interest for policymakers working in nutrition and public health.


Public food procurement for sustainable food systems and healthy diets – Volume 1

Public food procurement for sustainable food systems and healthy diets – Volume 1

Author: International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2021-12-23

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 9251354758

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Sustainable Public Food Procurement (PFP) represents a key game changer for food systems transformation. It can influence both food consumption and food production patterns. It can deliver multiple social, economic and environmental benefits towards sustainable food systems for healthy diets. This publication aims to contribute to the improved understanding, dissemination and use of PFP as a development tool in particular in the case of school meals programmes. In Volume 1, researchers, policymakers and development partners can find evidence on how PFP can be used as a development tool and deliver multiple benefits for multiple beneficiaries. It argues that PFP can provide a market for local and smallholder farmers, promote the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, and improve the nutrition and health of children and communities. Volume 2 of this publication, available at https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7969en, presents further analysis of the instruments, enablers and barriers for PFP implementation. It also provides case studies with local, regional and national experiences from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America.


Healthier food and healthier food environments at sports events

Healthier food and healthier food environments at sports events

Author: World Health Organization

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2023-08-23

Total Pages: 77

ISBN-13: 9240075437

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Healthy,safeandsustainabledietsareimportantforbothhumanandplanetaryhealth,andsportsevents ought to be an ideal setting to model and promote healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle. Yet, even with the best of intentions, foods and beverages high in fats, sugars or salt are typically abundant in and aroundstadiaduringlargeandsmallsportsevents,oftenconsumedinexcessbyfansonmatchdays,and are also frequently associated with sports-related marketing and sponsorships. The foods and beverages consumed at sports events contribute little to an individual’s overall diet, butthe total number of meals, snacks and beverages sold can be substantial. Providing a variety of healthy, delicious and easy-to-consume food while providing fewer options and smaller portions of unhealthy options within these environments can contribute to health, wellness and the prevention of diet-related noncommunicable disease. Likewise, the high visibility of sports mega-events, in particular, offers valuable opportunities for potentially larger impact reaching billions of fans worldwide, creating positive perceptions of healthier foods and beverages at the stadia and beyond. This document - intended for use by sports events organizers - proposes five actions to achieve healthier food and healthier food environments, and suggests related activities that can happen during the planning, operational and post-event phases of sports events. It may also be used by governments, local authoritiesandsportsstadiamanagerstocreateahealthypublicfoodprocurementandservicepolicyfor sport settings more generally.


WHO manual on sugar-sweetened beverage taxation policies to promote healthy diets

WHO manual on sugar-sweetened beverage taxation policies to promote healthy diets

Author: World Health Organization

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2022-12-13

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 9240056297

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As the number of countries taxing SSBs increases, the available and emerging empirical evidence indicates that SSB taxation can be an effective lever for promoting healthier diets and improving population health. This guide is designed to support health and finance ministries in the growing number of countries that are exploring the use of SSB taxation to promote healthy diets, advance population health and improve societal welfare. Specifically, this manual is designed to (1) explain key economic concepts related to SSB taxation for public health personnel and SSB tax advocates to aid effective discussions and negotiations with financial officers and (2) provide finance ministry and health ministry officials with appropriate national-level examples in the implementation of SSB excise taxes, along with key considerations and strategies for effective SSB tax policy development, design, implementation and administration.


Reformulation of food and beverage products for healthier diets

Reformulation of food and beverage products for healthier diets

Author: World Health Organization

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2022-06-10

Total Pages: 23

ISBN-13: 9240039910

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The policy brief on “Reformulation of food and beverage products for healthier diets” is intended to set out in a readily accessible form the rationale for its area of action, synthesize the existing evidence base, highlight lessons from country experience and summarize available policy guidance. The brief addresses reformulation of highly processed foods and beverages that are energy-dense and nutrient-poor which have become cheaper, intensively marketed and more widely available. Too many people are consuming large amounts of food and beverage products high in energy, unhealthy fats, sugars and salt/sodium. Such products contribute to unhealthy diets and measures are required to eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA) from the food supply and to reduce the energy content per portion as well as lower the levels of saturated fats, sugars and salt/sodium in food. By driving wide-scale reformulation of foods and beverages, governments can help to ensure access to safe, sustainable and healthier diets.


Food systems for health

Food systems for health

Author:

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2021-12-07

Total Pages: 13

ISBN-13: 9240035265

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WHO is promoting the implementation of a package of game changing food systems actions, that complement each other and focus on improving the nutritional quality of food along the food supply chain and creating healthier food environments. Today’s food systems are simply failing to deliver healthy diets for all. If food systems are transformed, they can become a powerful driving force towards ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. WHO is promoting this package of actions also in the context of the UN Food Systems Summit, the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021, as well as for the uptake of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. The package of actions comprises of taxing unhealthy options and subsidising healthy options, protecting children from harmful marketing of food and beverages, ensuring clear and accurate nutrition labels, reducing the levels of salt, sugars and harmful fats in processed food and drink products, fortifying staple foods by adding extra vitamins and minerals, ensuring nutritious foods for healthier diets are served or sold in schools, hospitals and other public places, improving surveillance of and response to foodborne diseases and assessing and strengthening national food control systems. This information brief outlines for each of these actions what it is about and why it is important, with reference to WHO guidance. Moreover, country case studies are presented and examples of SMART commitments for interested countries.


Sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems for healthy diets and prevention of malnutrition in Europe and Central Asia

Sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems for healthy diets and prevention of malnutrition in Europe and Central Asia

Author: Fang, C.

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2023-04-14

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 9251375348

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This book aims to contribute the knowledge and understanding of nutritional impact of food systems. Focus is also be given to food systems elements status identification, policy analysis to examine potential effects of different policy options throughout the food system, in particular policies in agriculture, food marketing and trade, social protection, gender, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on food industry, nutrition, and environment and education etc. Good practice and lessons learnt to strengthen the beneficiary countries’ evidence-base for addressing nutrition related challenges from the food system perspective.