The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review

Household Food Metabolism: Losses, Waste and Environmental Pressures of Food Consumption at the Regional Level in Spain

Dealing with an increasing population is challenging the global food system not only in productive terms, but also through the associated environmental pressures. A growing diagnostic effort is being made by global and national agencies. Innovative approaches are needed to support effective policy efforts. This study aims to illustrate the potentialities of the household metabolism approach in the diagnosis of the environmental pressures derived from household food consumption, using the Spanish regions and the effects of the 2008 crisis as case studies. The direct information concerning food consumption in physical terms provided by the Spanish household budget survey is used to estimate some relevant environmental pressures (food losses and waste along the food chain, as well as water and carbon footprint) for the Spanish food system at a sub-national level. These data are directly translated into differences in environmental pressures and compared with other dietary profiles. Furthermore, the physical information of environmental pressures is related to household socio-economic status, showing the potentialities of the association with household socio-economic information. Finally, our data illustrate with some examples how the economic crisis has acted as a driver of change in food consumption, promoting a better environmental performance at the cost of poorer diets.

The association between plant-based diet and erectile dysfunction in Chinese men

Background

Diet, one of the components of lifestyle, has been believed to have associations with erectile dysfunction (ED). However, whether there is an association between plant-based diet and ED is remains to be explored. Thus, we conducted the nested case-control study to investigate the relationship between the plant-based diet and ED in China.

Results

ED group (92 subjeczts) and ED free group (92 subjects) were similar in terms of basic features (P > 0.05), except for lifestyle (P < 0.05). The plant-diet index (PDI) and healthy plant-diet index (hPDI) in the ED group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001). Adjusted multivariate analysis indicated that the presence of ED was negatively associated with nitric oxide levels, PDI, and hPDI (all P < 0.05), and was positively related to body mass index, metabolic syndrome, and E-selectin levels. Furthermore, both the PDI and hPDI increased significantly as the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores increased within the ED group (P < 0.05). Multi-model multivariate analysis indicated the robustness of results.

Conclusions

More plant-based diet intake was associated with a reduced presence of ED and less severe ED in China. Committing to plant-based diet can be encouraged for many health benefits and to lower ED burden. Further well-designed studies are warranted to validate our findings.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12610-021-00129-5.

The Promotions of Sustainable Lunch Meals in School Feeding Programs: The Case of Italy

School is considered a privileged environment for health education and school feeding represents an opportunity for promoting sustainable foods to young generations. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that is possible to select, from existing school menus, recipes that combine healthy foods with low environmental impact. A national sample of Italian school menus was collected and a total number of 194 recipes were included on a database containing 70 first courses, 83 s courses, 39 side dishes, 1 portion of fruit, and 1 portion of bread. A mathematical model was conceived to combine nutritional adequacy and acceptability criteria while minimizing GHGs emissions. The result is a four-week menu characterized by large vegetable components that were used not only as side dishes but also as ingredients in the first and second courses. Legumes and pasta are often included, and white meat is selected instead of red meat. The findings presented in this paper demonstrated that it is possible to design environmental-friendly meals from existing school menus. The mathematical model developed in this work has the potentiality of being completely scalable, easily updatable, and widely utilizable in different settings either for design or monitoring purposes as well as for research data collection.

Indicators and Recommendations for Assessing Sustainable Healthy Diets

Research coupling human nutrition and sustainability concerns is a rapidly developing field, which is essential to guide governments' policies. This critical and comprehensive review analyzes indicators and approaches to "sustainable healthy diets" published in the literature since this discipline's emergence a few years ago, identifying robust gauges and highlighting the flaws of the most commonly used models. The reviewed studies largely focus on one or two domains such as greenhouse gas emissions or water use, while overlooking potential impact shifts to other sectors or resources. The present study covers a comprehensive set of indicators from the health, environmental and socio-economic viewpoints. This assessment concludes that in order to identify the best food option in sustainability assessments and nutrition analysis of diets, some aspects such as the classification and disaggregation of food groups, the impacts of the rates of local food consumption and seasonality, preservation methods, agrobiodiversity and organic food and different production systems, together with consequences for low-income countries, require further analysis and consideration.

Lifetime climate impacts of diet transitions: a novel climate change accounting perspective

Dietary transitions, such as eliminating meat consumption, have been proposed as one way to reduce the climate impact of the global and regional food systems. However, it should be ensured that replacement diets are indeed nutritious and that climate benefits are accurately accounted for. This study uses New Zealand food consumption as a case study for exploring the cumulative climate impact of adopting the national dietary guidelines and the substitution of meat from hypothetical diets. The new GWP* metric is used as it was designed to better reflect the climate impacts of the release of methane than the de facto standard 100-year Global Warming Potential metric (GWP100). A transition at age 25 to the hypothetical dietary guideline diet reduces cumulative warming associated with diet by 7 to 9% at the 100th year compared with consuming the average New Zealand diet. The reduction in diet-related cumulative warming from the transition to a hypothetical meat-substituted diet varied between 12 and 15%. This is equivalent to reducing an average individual's lifetime warming contribution by 2 to 4%. General improvements are achieved for nutrient intakes by adopting the dietary guidelines compared with the average New Zealand diet; however, the substitution of meat items results in characteristic nutrient differences, and these differences must be considered alongside changes in emission profiles.

Mediterranean diet: a nutrient-packed diet and a healthy lifestyle for a sustainable world

The Mediterranean diet (MD), as a sustainable diet and a healthy way of living, is in a good agreement with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (2015). © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Patient-Planetary Health Co-benefit Prescribing: Emerging Considerations for Health Policy and Health Professional Practice

In addition to the importance of fostering and developing measures for better health-system resilience globally from the effects of climate change, there have been increasing calls for health professionals, as well as public health and medical education systems, to become partners in climate change mitigation efforts. Direct clinical practice considerations, however, have not been adequately fostered equitably across all regions with an often-confusing array of practice areas within planetary health and sustainable healthcare. This article calls for a more coordinated effort within clinical practice spaces given the urgency of global environmental change, while also taking lessons from Indigenous traditional knowledge systems—a viewpoint that is rarely heard from or prioritized in public health or medicine. Simpler and more coordinated messaging in efforts to improve patient and planetary health are needed. The creation of unifying terminology within planetary health-rooted clinical and public health practice has been proposed with the potential to bring forth dialogue between and within disciplinary offshoots and public health advocacy efforts, and within clinical and health-system policy spaces.

Diets benefiting health and climate relate to longevity in northern Sweden

BACKGROUND

Diets combining adequate nutritional quality and low climate impact are highly needed for human and planet health.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to 1) evaluate nutrient density indexes' ability to predict mortality, and 2) assess the effects of diets varying in nutrient density and climate impact on total mortality.

METHODS

Dietary data from 49,124 women and 47,651 men aged 35-65 y in the population-based prospective study Västerbotten Intervention Programme (Sweden) were used. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) were estimated using data from life cycle assessments. Fifteen variants of nutrient density indexes were evaluated and the index that best predicted mortality was used to estimate participants' nutrient density. GHGEs and nutrient density were adjusted for energy intakes. Total mortality risk was estimated by Cox proportional hazards models for 4 groups of women and men, respectively, i.e., higher nutrient density, lower climate impact (HNutr/LClim); higher nutrient density, higher climate impact (HNutr/HClim); lower nutrient density, lower climate impact (LNutr/LClim); and lower nutrient density, higher climate impact (LNutr/HClim-reference group).

RESULTS

NRF11.3, a Sweden-adapted variant of the Nutrient Rich Foods index, was identified to have the best ability to predict mortality in the study population. Median follow-up times for women and men were 16.0 and 14.7 y, respectively. For women a significantly lower mortality risk was found for HNutr/LClim (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.96; P = 0.008) and HNutr/HClim (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.97; P = 0.011) than for LNutr/HClim. Among men LNutr/LClim had a significantly higher mortality risk (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21; P = 0.033) than LNutr/HClim.

CONCLUSIONS

Diets beneficial for both health and climate are feasible and associated with lower mortality risk in women. Further studies are needed to understand how men may transition into diets that are more sustainable from a combined health and climate perspective.

Moving Consumers along the Innovation Adoption Curve: A New Approach to Accelerate the Shift toward a More Sustainable Diet

Unsustainable food production and consumption contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Adopting a more plant-based diet has been identified as a necessary change toward a more sustainable food system. In response to the call for transdisciplinary research on the sustainability of food consumption, this exploratory study combined consumer science, nutrition and health, sustainability research, and innovation to develop a new approach that can accelerate the shift toward a more sustainable diet. Quantitative data on the eating habits and attitudes of 1785 consumers was combined with data on environmental impacts via a life cycle assessment for different consumer segments. We studied the sustainable dietary shift using the diffusion of innovation theory, as well as qualitative and quantitative approaches. We identified and characterized seven consumer segments and related habits and attitudes toward an increase in plant-based foods and meat reduction. The nutritional quality and the environmental footprint of the segments’ dinners showed large differences. The results indicate that moving consumers along the innovation adoption curve with targeted interventions can reduce the environmental footprint of people’s diets and improve dietary health. We also discussed the value of user-centric innovation tools for the translation of insights into interventions by working with personas.

Vegetarian Diet: An Overview through the Perspective of Quality of Life Domains

Vegetarianism has gained more visibility in recent years. Despite the well-described effects of a vegetarian diet on health, its influence on the quality of life of the individuals who follow it still needs to be properly investigated. Quality of life relates to a subjective perception of well-being and functionality, and encompasses four main life domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental. The adoption of a vegetarian diet, despite being a dietary pattern, could potentially influence and be influenced by all of these domains, either positively or negatively. This review aims to present an overview of the background, conceptualization, features, and potential effects of vegetarianism in all quality of life domains. The choice of adopting a vegetarian diet could have positive outcomes, such as better physical health, positive feelings related to the adoption of a morally correct attitude, an increased sense of belonging (to a vegetarian community), and lower environmental impact. Other factors, however, could have a negative impact on the quality of life of those choosing to abstain from meats or other animal products, especially when they go beyond one's control. These include the environment, the social/cultural group in which a person is inserted, gender-based differences, economic aspects, and a limited access to a wide variety of plant-based foods. It is important to understand all the effects of adopting a vegetarian diet-beyond its nutritional aspects. Not only do studies in this area provide more consistent data, but they may also contribute to mitigating all factors that might prevent individuals from adopting a vegetarian diet, or that may have a negative impact on the quality of life of those who already follow it.

An Approach for Integrating and Analyzing Sustainability in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

International organizations, governments, researchers, and activists have proposed the need for deeper integration of sustainability considerations in national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). Yet, as recent scholarship advances the conversation, questions remain around how to effectively frame and address the interconnectedness of multiple sustainability domains. Little systematic analysis has evaluated how current FBDGs have integrated complex messages about socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable consumption practices with nutrition and health messages. This study had two nested objectives: (i) to examine the validity of an existing sustainable diets framework by assessing how sustainability concepts have been framed and included in national FBDGs available from 2011 to 2019 and (ii) to describe a novel analysis approach that augments an existing framework which integrates sustainability domains and can be adapted for use by future FBDGs. A qualitative content analysis was used to examine sustainability concepts found in 12 FBDGs and supporting documents available in English that were developed for use in 16 countries across Europe, North and South America, and Asia as of 2019—from a global review of those published prior to 2016 and gray literature review of publications between 2016 and 2019. Health domains were the primary frame found across the FBDGs examined, but documents also commonly incorporated agricultural, sociocultural, and economic sustainability principles. Analyzed documents were used to adapt an existing policy analysis framework into a “Sustainability in FBDGs Framework.” This proposed framework contributes a novel analysis approach and has five core domains that are interconnected: health and nutrition, food security and agriculture, markets and value chains, sociocultural and political, and environment and ecosystems. This study adds to the growing body of literature related to sustainable food systems and dietary guidelines by presenting how sustainability framing in FBDGs can be used to further develop a comprehensive framework for integrating sustainability domains. While this project helps to validate previous work, further analyses of FBDGs which have emerged since this study and those not available in English are needed to improve the guidance approach described here and for assessing the incorporation of sustainability domains in future FBDGs. This work is useful in informing processes for policy developers to integrate sustainability considerations into their national FBDGs.

Can Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Patterns That Fit within Current Dutch Food Habits Be Identified?

This study investigated major healthy and sustainable dietary patterns in the Dutch population. Two 24-hour dietary recalls were collected in 2078 participants aged 19–79 years in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2012–2016. Dietary patterns were identified using reduced rank regression. Predictor variables were food groups and response variables were Dutch Healthy Diet index 2015 (DHD15-index) score, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), and blue water use. Three patterns were discovered, including a “high fruit and vegetable dietary pattern”, a “low meat dietary pattern”, and a “high dairy, low fruit juices dietary pattern”. Diets in the highest quartile of these patterns had higher DHD15-index score than the average population. However, diets of the “high fruit and vegetable dietary pattern” were associated with higher dietary GHGE (14%) and blue water use (69.2%) compared to the average population. Diets of the “low meat dietary pattern” were associated with lower GHGE (19.6%) and higher blue water use (7.7%). Concluding, the “low meat dietary pattern” was the most healthy and sustainable dietary pattern in this population. The addition of blue water use as an environmental impact indicator shows the difficulty of finding existing dietary patterns that have low environmental impact in all determinants.

Plant-based dietary practices in Canada: examining definitions, prevalence and correlates of animal source food exclusions using nationally representative data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition

OBJECTIVE

While plant-based dietary practices (PBDPs) have been recommended to improve both population health and environmental sustainability outcomes, no nationally representative Canadian studies have described the prevalence or correlates of excluding animal source foods. The current study therefore: (1) created operationalised definitions of PBDPs based on animal source food exclusions to estimate the prevalence of Canadians who adhere to PBDPs and (2) examined key correlates of PBDPs.

DESIGN

Population representative, cross-sectional data were from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition. Respondents' PBDPs were categorised as: (1) vegan (excluded red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy); (2) vegetarian (excluded red meat, poultry and fish); (3) pescatarian (excluded red meat and poultry) and (4) red meat excluder (excluded red meat). Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were used to examine the prevalence and correlates of these PBDP categories.

SETTING

All ten provinces in Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

Canadians aged 2 years and above (n 20 477).

RESULTS

In 2015, approximately 5 % of Canadians reported adhering to any PBDP (all categories combined) with the majority (2·8 %) categorised as a red meat excluder, 1·3 % as vegetarian, 0·7 % as pescatarian and 0·3 % as vegan. South Asian cultural identity (OR 19·70 (95 % CI 9·53, 40·69)) and higher educational attainment (OR 1·97 (95 % CI 1·02, 3·80)) were significantly associated with reporting a vegetarian/vegan PBDP.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite growing public discourse around PBDPs, only 5 % of Canadians reported PBDPs in 2015. Understanding the social and cultural factors that influence PBDPs is valuable for informing future strategies to promote environmentally sustainable dietary practices.

Alternative diets among adolescents: facts or fads?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

With rising rates of chronic noninfectious diseases across the United States thought to be associated with the average American diet, many have adopted alternative diets. Most of these diets promise weight reduction via adherence to strict dietary guidelines, often removing certain types of food. With access to a plethora of information online, it is easy for adolescents to become confused when making dietary decisions. Although these diets promise benefits, it is important to understand common shortcomings and how to overcome them for safe implementation among adolescents.

RECENT FINDINGS

This review discusses the theory, implementation, and risks associated with intermittent fasting as well as vegetarian, vegan, ketogenic, Atkins, Paleolithic, and Mediterranean diets. These considerations are further modified for pediatric populations with a focus on the social influences on dieting.

SUMMARY

Although these diets may be promising, successful adherence to them requires addressing possible shortcomings associated with a certain diet. Pediatricians should be aware of how these dietary strategies may be properly implemented in order to prevent any harm to the patient. Empowering the patient and their families through informational resources is recommended. Pediatricians should also discuss motivations underlying their patient's dietary changes in order to determine whether these motivations are healthy.

Do consumers prefer pasture-raised dual-purpose cattle when considering meat products? A hypothetical discrete choice experiment for the case of minced beef

Livestock production is criticised for animal welfare conditions and its impact on the environment. Pasture-raised dual-purpose cattle may be able to provide an opportunity for more sustainable livestock production. Despite societal interest and substantial grazing opportunities in several regions of northern Europe, the market share of sustainably produced beef is currently low. This study investigated consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay for pasture-raised beef from dual-purpose cattle. Data were obtained from a hypothetical choice experiment (n = 513), attributing the type of husbandry (stable-based, pasture-raised, pasture-raised using nature conservation areas), breed (no description, single-purpose, dual-purpose), production method (conventional, organic), origin (locally produced, produced in Germany), and price (5.98, 11.98, 17.98, 23.98 €/kg), and were analysed using random parameter logit modelling. The most important overall attribute was 'type of husbandry' followed by 'breed', indicating consumers' concerns for animal welfare and naturalness. Our analyses revealed a clear preference for pasture-raised dual-purpose cattle, demonstrating great market potential for animal welfare-friendly meat products.

Farmed Mussels: A Nutritive Protein Source, Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, with a Low Environmental Footprint

The world’s ever-growing population presents a major challenge in providing sustainable food options and in reducing pressures on the Earth’s agricultural land and freshwater resources. Current estimates suggest that agriculture contributes ~30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Additionally, there is an increased demand for animal protein, the production of which is particularly polluting. Therefore, the climate-disrupting potential of feeding the planet is likely to substantially worsen in the future. Due to the nutritional value of animal-based protein, it is not a simple solution to recommend a wholesale reduction in production/consumption of animal proteins. Rather, employing strategies which result in the production of low carbon animal protein may be part of the solution to reduce the GHGs associated with our diets without compromising diet quality. We suggest that farmed mussels may present a partial solution to this dilemma. Mussel production has a relatively low GHG production and does not put undue pressure on land or fresh water supplies. By drawing comparisons to other protein sources using the Australian Food and Nutrient Database and other published data, we demonstrate that they are a sustainable source of high-quality protein, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, and other key micronutrients such as B-12 and iron. The aim of this review is to summarise the current knowledge on the health benefits and potential risks of increasing the consumption of farmed mussels.

Diets within Environmental Limits: The Climate Impact of Current and Recommended Australian Diets

Planetary boundaries are an important sustainability concept, defining absolute limits for resource use and emissions that need to be respected to avoid major and potentially irreversible earth system change. To remain within the safe operating space for humanity, there is a need for urgent adoption of climate-neutral diets, which make no additional contribution to warming. In the first study of its kind, a new climate metric, the Global Warming Potential Star (GWP*), was used to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with 9341 Australian adult diets obtained from the Australian Health Survey. Dietary climate footprints averaged 3.4 kg CO₂-equivelent per person per day, with total energy intake explaining around one quarter of the variation. Energy-dense and nutrient-poor discretionary foods contributed around one third. With lower climate footprint food choices, a diet consistent with current Australian dietary guidelines had a 42% lower climate footprint. Currently, it is not possible to define a climate-neutral dietary strategy in Australia because there are very few climate-neutral foods in the Australian food system. To bring Australian diets into line with the climate stabilization goals of the Paris Agreement, the most important need is for innovation across the agricultural and food processing industries to expand the range of climate-neutral foods available.

Iron Status of Vegans, Vegetarians and Pescatarians in Norway

Although plant-based diets provide well-established physical and environmental health benefits, omitting meat or meat products has also been associated with a risk of being deficient in specific nutrients, such as iron. As data on the iron status among Norwegian vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians are lacking, the present study aimed to assess iron status in these groups of healthy adults. Blood markers for iron status were measured in 191 participants (18-60 years old) comprising 106 vegans, 54 vegetarians and 31 pescatarians: serum-ferritin (S-Fe), serum-iron (S-Iron) and serum-total iron binding capacity (S-TIBC). Serum-transferrin-saturation (S-TSAT) was estimated (S-Iron/S-TIBC × 100). The median concentration of blood markers for iron status were within the normal range with no difference between the different dietary practices. In total, 9% reported iron supplement use the last 24 h. S-Fe concentrations below reference (<15 μg/L) were found in 8% of the participating women, of which one participant reported iron supplement use. In multiple regression analysis, duration of adherence to dietary practices and the female gender were found to be the strongest predictors for decreased S-Fe concentration. In conclusion, although the participants were eating a plant-based diet, the majority had sufficient iron status. Female vegans and vegetarians of reproductive age are at risk of low iron status and should have their iron status monitored.

The cost of eating more sustainable diets: A nutritional and environmental diet optimisation study

We aim to identify the dietary changes to improve nutrition and reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) simultaneously in Brazil, taking into account the heterogeneity in food habits and prices across the country. Food consumption and prices were obtained from two nationwide surveys (n = 55,970 households and 34,003 individuals). Linear programming models were performed to design optimised diets most resembling the observed diets, and meeting different sets of constraints: (i) nutritional, for preventing chronic diseases and meeting nutrient adequacy; (ii) socio-cultural: by respecting food preferences; and (iii) environmental: by reducing GHGE by steps of 10%. Moving toward a diet that meets nutritional recommendations led to a 14% to 24% cost increase and 10% to 27% GHGE reduction, depending on the stringency of the acceptability constraints. Stronger GHGE reductions were achievable (up to about 70%), with greater departure from the current diet, but not achieving calcium and potassium goals. Diet cost increment tended to be mitigated with GHGE reduction in most models, along with reductions in red meat, chicken, eggs, rice, and high-fat sugar sodium foods.

The association between plant-based diet and erectile function in Chinese young healthy men: A population-based study

The study was designed and conducted to evaluate the plant-based diet status and its association with erectile function (EF) in Chinese young healthy men. From July 2018 to May 2020, 116 objectively proved physically and psychologically healthy men were selected. Clinical questionnaires, detailed physical examinations and blood tests were all assessed. An overall plant-based diet index (PDI) and a healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) were developed from each participant to measure plant-based diet quantitatively. The EF was measured by both the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and the surrogated measures of endothelial function, peripheral levels of nitric oxide (NO) and E-selectin. In subjects, the mean PDI and hPDI were 53.8 ± 8.2 and 54.7 ± 8.9 respectively. Results of multivariate analysis showed that both PDI and hPDI were negatively associated with BMI (all p < .05), but had no relationships with NO, E-selectin, TT levels and IIEF-5 scores (all p > .05). In a subgroup of male population, Chinese young healthy men, the plant-based diet, measured by PDI and hPDI, was not related to erectile function. The population can adhere to plant-based diet to keep healthy without concerns of negative influence on erectile function.

Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions

We have developed a new global food emissions database (EDGAR-FOOD) estimating greenhouse gas (GHG; CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, fluorinated gases) emissions for the years 1990-2015, building on the Emissions Database of Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), complemented with land use/land-use change emissions from the FAOSTAT emissions database. EDGAR-FOOD provides a complete and consistent database in time and space of GHG emissions from the global food system, from production to consumption, including processing, transport and packaging. It responds to the lack of detailed data for many countries by providing sectoral contributions to food-system emissions that are essential for the design of effective mitigation actions. In 2015, food-system emissions amounted to 18 Gt CO₂ equivalent per year globally, representing 34% of total GHG emissions. The largest contribution came from agriculture and land use/land-use change activities (71%), with the remaining were from supply chain activities: retail, transport, consumption, fuel production, waste management, industrial processes and packaging. Temporal trends and regional contributions of GHG emissions from the food system are also discussed.

Climate action for health and wellbeing in cities: a protocol for the systematic development of a database of peer-reviewed studies using machine learning methods

Cities produce more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Action by cities is therefore crucial for climate change mitigation as well as for safeguarding the health and wellbeing of their populations under climate change. Many city governments have made ambitious commitments to climate change mitigation and adaptation and implemented a range of actions to address them. However, a systematic record and synthesis of the findings of evaluations of the effect of such actions on human health and wellbeing is currently lacking. This, in turn, impedes the development of robust knowledge on what constitutes high-impact climate actions of benefit to human health and wellbeing, which can inform future action plans, their implementation and scale-up. The development of a systematic record of studies reporting climate and health actions in cities is made challenging by the broad landscape of relevant literature scattered across many disciplines and sectors, which is challenging to effectively consolidate using traditional literature review methods. This protocol reports an innovative approach for the systematic development of a database of studies of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions implemented in cities, and their benefits (or disbenefits) for human health and wellbeing, derived from peer-reviewed academic literature. Our approach draws on extensive tailored search strategies and machine learning methods for article classification and tagging to generate a database for subsequent systematic reviews addressing questions of importance to urban decision-makers on climate actions in cities for human health and wellbeing.

Conservative to disruptive diets for optimizing nutrition, environmental impacts and cost in French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort

Improving the sustainability of diets requires the identification of diets that meet the nutritional requirements of populations, promote health, are within planetary boundaries, are affordable and are acceptable. Here we explore the extent to which dimensions of sustainability could be optimally aligned and identify more sustainable dietary solutions, from the most conservative to the most disruptive, among 12,166 participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort. We aim to concomitantly lower environmental impacts (including greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative energy demand and land occupation), increase organic food consumption and study departure from observed diets (considered as a proxy for acceptability). From the most conservative to the most disruptive scenario, optimized diets were gradually richer in fruits, vegetables and soya-based products and markedly poorer in animal-based foods and fatty and sweet foods. The contribution of animal protein to total protein intake gradually decreased by 12% to 70% of the observed value. The greenhouse gas emissions from food production for the diets gradually decreased across scenarios (as a percentage of observed values) by 36-86%, land occupation for food production by 32-78% and energy demand by 28-72%. Our results offer a benchmark of scenarios of graded dietary changes against graded sustainability improvements.

Chinese Consumers' Attitudes and Potential Acceptance toward Artificial Meat

The interest for artificial meat has recently expanded. However, from the literature, perception of artificial meat in China is not well known. A survey was thus carried out to investigate Chinese attitudes toward artificial meat. The answers of 4666 respondents concluded that 19.9% and 9.6% of them were definitely willing and unwilling to try artificial meat respectively, whereas 47.2% were not willing to eat it regularly, and 87.2% were willing to pay less for it compared to conventional meat. Finally, 52.9% of them will accept artificial meat as an alternative to conventional meat. Emotional resistance such as the perception of "absurdity or disgusting" would lead to no willingness to eat artificial meat regularly. The main concerns were related to safety and unnaturalness, but less to ethical and environmental issues as in Western countries. Nearly half of the respondents would like artificial meat to be safe, tasty, and nutritional. Whereas these expectations have low effects on willingness to try, they may induce consumers' rejection to eat artificial meat regularly, underlying the weak relationship between wishes to try and to eat regularly. Thus, potential acceptance of artificial meat in China depends on Chinese catering culture, perception of food and traditional philosophy.

Development and testing of the Sustainable Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for retail stores in Ontario

OBJECTIVE

To develop and test a tool to assess the price and availability of low-carbon footprint and nutritionally balanced dietary patterns in retail food environments in Ontario, Canada.

DESIGN

Availability and price of selected food from discount and regular grocery stores (n 23) in urban/rural areas of northern/southern Ontario were assessed with the Sustainable Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in 2017.

SETTING

Ontario, Canada.

RESULTS

Inter-rater reliability was high for price (intra-class correlation coefficients = 0·819) and for availability (Cohen's κ = 0·993). The tool showed 78 % of the selected food items were available in all stores. Overall, price differences were small between urban and rural locations, and northern and southern Ontario. The greatest price difference was between discount and regular stores.

CONCLUSIONS

The tool showed excellent inter-rater agreement. Researchers and public health dietitians can use this tool for research, practice and policy to link consumer-level health outcomes to the retail environment.

Recent Trends in Dietary Habits of the Italian Population: Potential Impact on Health and the Environment

Population growth, globalization, urbanization, and economic pressures are causing changes in food consumption all over the world. The study's aims are (1) to evaluate trends in food habits in Italy to highlight deviations from the traditional Mediterranean diet, (2) to analyze the features of the present Italian diet that should be modified to meet evidence-based global scientific targets for a healthy and sustainable diet proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. Trends in food availability for human consumption during the period 2000-2017 were assessed using the food balance sheets (FBSs). Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was estimated according to life cycle assessment (LCA) analyses. During the study period, the availability of animal fat and beef meat greatly declined (-58% and -32%, respectively), followed by fruit, potatoes, vegetables, milk, and non-tropical oils (-20%, -15%, -13%, -14%, and -11%, respectively). A substantial increase has occurred for tropical oils, fish, and nuts (+156, +26%, and +21%, respectively). In order to meet the targets of consumption proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, the consumption of legumes and nuts should be almost doubled, whereas the consumption of meat, eggs, dairy products, animal fat, tropical oils, and sugars should be reduced by proportions ranging from 60% to 90%. If implemented, these changes would reduce the diet-related greenhouse gas emission by nearly 50%. In conclusion, these data call for nutritional education programs and interventions on the food system aimed at promoting a healthier and more environmentally sustainable diet. To this end, the availability and affordability of products with a better impact on human health and the environment should be promoted.

Consumption Preferences of Pulses in the Diet of Polish People: Motives and Barriers to Replace Animal Protein with Vegetable Protein

Today, with easy access to information, people are aware of the health benefits of pulses and their significant role in sustainable consumption. Despite this, the consumption of pulses still remains low in many developed and developing countries. The authors of the study attempted to fill the gaps in knowledge about determinants that influence the consumption of pulses. The study was conducted to identify the motives and barriers which, according to a consumer, influence the level of consumption of pulses. An attempt was made to determine to what extent a consumer is influenced by culinary trends (using the multiple linear regression equation). The survey was conducted on a sample of 1067 Polish respondents. The sample was representative and selected to reflect the social demographic distribution of the respondents. In the research, descriptive statistics were used, as well as a t-test, linear regression statistics, and discriminant function analysis. Pulses are more often considered by women to be healthy and nutritious products as well as a good alternative to meat products. The price of pulses products is very important. Men also consider those qualities to be encouraging to consume pulses, but to a lesser extent than women. The lack of knowledge and skills to prepare tasty meals from pulses is one of the most important barriers which, both in the case of women and men, prevents consumers from eating pulses more often. Identified types of diets of the respondents in the research sample showed differences in the regularity of consumption of different selected pulse products. The obtained results indicated that Polish consumers are influenced by other cuisines of the world in their preferences. The most influential cuisines were the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean, with a variety of dishes that are prepared based on pulse products. It should be emphasized that to increase the consumption of pulses, it is necessary to continue educating society through various channels, e.g., culinary, health, information programs, or by inviting celebrities who enjoy the great trust of the society to take part in the advertisement.

Contributions of dairy products to environmental impacts and nutritional supplies from United States agriculture

Questions regarding the balance between the contribution to human nutrition and the environmental impact of livestock food products rarely evaluate specific species or how to accomplish the recommended depopulation. The objective of this study was to assess current contributions of the US dairy industry to the supply of nutrients and environmental impact, characterize potential impacts of alternative land use for land previously used for crops for dairy cattle, and evaluate the impacts of these approaches on US dairy herd depopulation. We modeled 3 scenarios to reflect different sets of assumptions for how and why to remove dairy cattle from the US food production system coupled with 4 land-use strategies for the potential newly available land previously cropped for dairy feed. Scenarios also differed in assumptions of how to repurpose land previously used to grow grain for dairy cows. The current system provides sufficient fluid milk to meet the annual energy, protein, and calcium requirements of 71.2, 169, and 254 million people, respectively. Vitamins supplied by dairy products also make up a high proportion of total domestic supplies from foods, with dairy providing 39% of the vitamin A, 54% of the vitamin D, 47% of the riboflavin, 57% of the vitamin B₁₂, and 29% of the choline available for human consumption in the United States. Retiring (maintaining animals without milk harvesting) dairy cattle under their current management resulted in no change in absolute greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) relative to the current production system. Both depopulation and retirement to pasture resulted in modest reductions (6.8-12.0%) in GHGE relative to the current agricultural system. Most dairy cow removal scenarios reduced availability of essential micronutrients such as α-linolenic acid, Ca, and vitamins A, D, B₁₂, and choline. Those removal scenarios that did not reduce micronutrient availability also did not improve GHGE relative to the current production system. These results suggest that removal of dairy cattle to reduce GHGE without reducing the supply of the most limiting nutrients to the population would be difficult.

Intentions to Consume Sustainably Produced Fish: The Moderator Effects of Involvement and Environmental Awareness

The purpose of this study is to apply the conceptual framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain the consumption of sustainable produced fish in Sweden. We seek to understand the moderating role of food product involvement and environmental awareness as extensions of traditional constructs such as attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control. The data were derived from a representative sample of 1974 Swedish consumers. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the relationships between constructs and evaluate the reliability and the validity of the constructs. Attitudes had a significantly positive effect on intention to consume fish in general and sustainably produced fish in particular. Social norms had significantly positive effect on intention to consume fish in general, but no effect on intention to consume sustainably produced fish. Behavioral control had no effect on behavioral intention. Interestingly, involvement negatively moderated the effect of attitudes on both intention to consume more fish and to consume more sustainably produced fish. Environmental awareness also negatively moderated the effect of attitudes on intention to consume more sustainably produced fish. It seems that attempts to create food product involvement and environmental awareness among consumers may have the opposite effect—a boomerang effect—than what conventional wisdom and much of the research on fish consumption indicates. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Risk-benefit in food safety and nutrition - Outcome of the 2019 Parma Summer School

Risk-benefit assessment is the comparison of the risk of a situation to its related benefits, i.e. a comparison of scenarios estimating the overall health impact. The risk-benefit analysis paradigm mirrors the classical risk analysis one: risk-benefit assessment goes hand-in-hand with risk-benefit management and risk-benefit communication. The various health effects associated with food consumption, together with the increasing demand for advice on healthy and safe diets, have led to the development of different research disciplines in food safety and nutrition. In this sense, there is a clear need for a holistic approach, including and comparing all of the relevant health risks and benefits. The risk-benefit assessment of foods is a valuable approach to estimate the overall impact of food on health. It aims to assess together the negative and positive health effects associated with food intake by integrating chemical and microbiological risk assessment with risk and benefit assessment in food safety and nutrition. The 2019 Parma Summer School on risk-benefit in food safety and nutrition had the objective was to provide an opportunity to learn from experts in the field of risk-benefit approach in food safety and nutrition, including theory, case studies, and communication of risk-benefit assessments plus identify challenges for the future. It was evident that whereas tools and approaches have been developed, more and more case studies have been performed which can form an inherent validation of the risk-benefit approach. Executed risk-benefit assessment case studies apply the steps and characteristics developed: a problem formulation (with at least 2 scenarios), a tiered approach until a decision can be made, one common currency to describe both beneficial and adverse effects (DALYs in most instances). It was concluded that risk-benefit assessment in food safety and nutrition is gaining more and more momentum, while also many challenges remain for the future. Risk-benefit is on the verge of really enrolling into the risk assessment and risk analysis paradigm. The interaction between risk-benefit assessors and risk-benefit managers is pivotal in this, as is the interaction with risk-benefit communicators.

The Role of Healthy Diets in Environmentally Sustainable Food Systems

Background:

The global food system is directly linked to international health and sustainability targets, such as the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement climate change targets, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. These targets are already threatened by current dietary patterns and will be further threatened by 2050 because of a growing population and transitions toward diets with more calories, animal-source foods, and ultra-processed foods. While dietary changes to healthier and predominantly plant-based diets will be integral to meeting environmental targets, economic, social, and cultural barriers make such dietary transitions difficult.

Objective:

To discuss the role of healthy diets in sustainable food systems and to highlight potential difficulties and solutions of transitioning toward healthier dietary patterns. To do so, we synthesize global knowledge and conduct a series of case studies on 4 countries that differ in their social, economic, political, and dietary contexts: Brazil, Vietnam, Kenya, and Sweden.

Conclusions:

No single “silver bullet” policy solution exists to shift food choices toward sustainable healthy diets. Instead, simultaneous action by the public sector, private sector, and governments will be needed.

Climate change mitigation through dietary change: a systematic review of empirical and modelling studies on the environmental footprints and health effects of 'sustainable diets'

The adoption of healthy diets with low environmental impact has been widely promoted as an important climate change mitigation strategy. Typically, these diets are high in plant-sourced and low in animal-sourced and processed foods. Despite the fact that their environmental impacts vary, they are often referred to as 'sustainable diets'. Here we systematically review the available published evidence on the effect of 'sustainable diets' on environmental footprints and human health. Eight databases (OvidSP-Medline, OvidSP-Embase, EBSCO-GreenFILE, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, OvidSP-CAB-Abstracts, OvidSP-AGRIS, and OvidSP-Global Health) were searched to identify literature (published 1999-2019) reporting health effects and environmental footprints of 'sustainable diets'. Available evidence was mapped and pooled analysis was conducted by unique combinations of diet pattern, health and environmental outcome. Eighteen studies (412 measurements) met our inclusion criteria, distinguishing twelve non-mutually exclusive sustainable diet patterns, six environmental outcomes, and seven health outcomes. In 87% of measurements (n = 151) positive health outcomes were reported from 'sustainable diets' (average relative health improvement: 4.09% [95% CI -0.10-8.29]) when comparing 'sustainable diets' to current/baseline consumption patterns. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with 'sustainable diets' were on average 25.8%[95%CI -27.0 to -14.6] lower than current/baseline consumption patterns, with vegan diets reporting the largest reduction in GHG-emissions (-70.3% [95% CI: -90.2 to -50.4]), however, water use was frequently reported to be higher than current/baseline diets. Multiple benefits for both health and the environment were reported in the majority (n = 315[76%]) of measurements. We identified consistent evidence of both positive health effects and reduced environmental footprints accruing from 'sustainable diets'. The notable exception of increased water use associated with 'sustainable diets' identifies that co-benefits are not universal and some trade-offs are likely. When carefully designed, evidence-based, and adapted to contextual factors, dietary change could play a pivotal role in climate change mitigation, sustainable food systems, and future population health.

A cross-sectional survey of the readiness of consumers to adopt an environmentally sustainable diet

BACKGROUND

The current food system is responsible for significant environmental damage therefore, encouraging consumers to adopt an environmentally sustainable diet is a key public health challenge. Dietary guidelines have been developed that outline recommendations for purchasing and consuming food in an environmentally sustainable manner, but they have not yet been incorporated in UK national dietary guidelines.

METHODS

Via an online survey of UK adults, we evaluated consumers' perceptions of the environmental benefit of various sustainable diet recommendations, their readiness to adopt these behaviours using the stage of change construct of the Transtheoretical Model, the factors that influenced their food choices, and their current consumption of plant- and animal-based sources of protein. Additionally, we investigated how demographic characteristics and food choice motives were associated with perceived environmental benefit of and readiness to adopt these sustainable diet recommendations.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 442 participants (66% female, 80% aged 25-54 years, 85% with higher education). The majority of participants considered the recommendations to 'reduce consumption of air-freighted foods' (79%), 'reduce food waste' (75%), and 'buy locally grown produce' (78%) to have a high environmental benefit, whereas a smaller proportion of participants perceived 'prioritise plant-based proteins' (42%) and 'choose organic produce' (27%) to have a high environmental benefit. Differences in perceptions and readiness to adopt sustainable dietary behaviours were observed between demographic groups, with women significantly more likely than men to be in action/maintenance (A/M) stages of change for prioritising plant proteins (OR 0.54), and younger participants more likely to be in pre-contemplation/contemplation (PC/C) stages of change for 'choose organic produce' (OR 2.03) and 'choose sustainable fish' (OR 2.45). Health, cost, environmental sustainability and taste were the most commonly reported food choice motives. Reporting environmental sustainability as a food choice motive was associated with readiness to adopt sustainable diet recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that consumers in the UK are engaged with some aspects of sustainable diets but remain resistant to others. The results of this study indicate that acceptable dietary guidelines could be developed to address environmental sustainability. Several behaviours were identified that consumers were willing to adopt, but there were barriers preventing them, highlighting that policy action is required to enable behaviour change to occur. Differences between demographic groups highlight potential targets for future campaigns promoting sustainable diets.

Acceptability and feasibility of a café-based sustainable food intervention in the UK

Dietary change is needed to improve health and reduce the environmental burden of food production and consumption. Using an Intervention Mapping approach, this study aimed to explore the views caterers and customers held towards point-of-choice interventions that promote healthy and environmentally friendly (EF) food and beverage choices at the University of Sheffield. Intervention options proposed during focus groups were devised using the Nuffield Bioethics ladder of intervention. Ten focus groups were held involving caterers (n = 16) and customers (n = 45). Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts of caterer and customer focus groups seperately, and then comparisons were made to identify concerns about the acceptability and feasibility of intervention options. Attitudes towards intervention options varied considerably amongst stakeholders, with the greatest disparity of opinion in the acceptability of interventions that restrict or limit personal choice, particularly with regards to meat consumption. Information provision was favoured as an acceptable intervention by both customers and caterers. However, labelling products in terms of their environmental impact was considered practically unfeasible. Social norms around eating also emerged as influencing the acceptability and feasibility of interventions with concerns raised about: shaming customers who chose meat, the exclusivity of vegan choices and the limited availability and appeal of meatless café options. Financial considerations were the main priority of caterers when discussing point-of-choice interventions. An acceptable and feasible café-based intervention ought to increase awareness and understanding of healthy and EF food choices, protect customer choice and avoid additional costs.

Updating the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid towards Sustainability: Focus on Environmental Concerns

BACKGROUND

Nowadays the food production, supply and consumption chain represent a major cause of ecological pressure on the natural environment, and diet links worldwide human health with environmental sustainability. Food policy, dietary guidelines and food security strategies need to evolve from the limited historical approach, mainly focused on nutrients and health, to a new one considering the environmental, socio-economic and cultural impact-and thus the sustainability-of diets.

OBJECTIVE

To present an updated version of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (MDP) to reflect multiple environmental concerns.

METHODS

We performed a revision and restructuring of the MDP to incorporate more recent findings on the sustainability and environmental impact of the Mediterranean Diet pattern, as well as its associations with nutrition and health. For each level of the MDP we provided a third dimension featuring the corresponding environmental aspects related to it.

CONCLUSIONS

The new environmental dimension of the MDP enhances food intake recommendations addressing both health and environmental issues. Compared to the previous 2011 version, it emphasizes more strongly a lower consumption of red meat and bovine dairy products, and a higher consumption of legumes and locally grown eco-friendly plant foods as much as possible.

Historical and projected future range sizes of the world's mammals, birds, and amphibians

Species' vulnerability to extinction is strongly impacted by their geographical range size. Formulating effective conservation strategies therefore requires a better understanding of how the ranges of the world's species have changed in the past, and how they will change under alternative future scenarios. Here, we use reconstructions of global land use and biomes since 1700, and 16 possible climatic and socio-economic scenarios until the year 2100, to map the habitat ranges of 16,919 mammal, bird, and amphibian species through time. We estimate that species have lost an average of 18% of their natural habitat range sizes thus far, and may lose up to 23% by 2100. Our data reveal that range losses have been increasing disproportionately in relation to the area of destroyed habitat, driven by a long-term increase of land use in tropical biodiversity hotspots. The outcomes of different future climate and land use trajectories for global habitat ranges vary drastically, providing important quantitative evidence for conservation planners and policy makers of the costs and benefits of alternative pathways for the future of global biodiversity.

Meet the Meat Alternatives: The Value of Alternative Protein Sources

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Meat alternatives are non-animal-based proteins with chemical characteristics and aesthetic qualities comparable to meat. The global increase in meat consumption is associated with the adverse environmental impacts such as increased greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming and higher water/land use. In this review, we focus on the development, availability, and nutritional value of various meat alternatives and their impact on meat consumption.

RECENT FINDINGS

Changing dietary patterns and drive for environmental conservation contribute to the recent increase in the consumption of environmental friendly sources of proteins such as plant-based and mycoprotein-based meat alternatives. Perceived lack of naturalness and poor cultural acceptance present as roadblocks for widespread societal acceptance for meat alternatives. Continued research and efforts are needed to make the meat alternatives more aesthetically appealing with improved nutritive value.

Healthy diets can create environmental trade-offs, depending on how diet quality is measured

Background

There is an urgent need to assess the linkages between diet patterns and environmental sustainability in order to meet global targets for reducing premature mortality and improving sustainable management of natural resources. This study fills an important research gap by evaluating the relationship between incremental differences in diet quality and multiple environmental burdens, while also accounting for the separate contributions of retail losses, inedible portions, and consumer waste.

Methods

Cross sectional, nationally-representative data on food intake in the United States were acquired from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2016), and were linked with nationally-representative data on food loss and waste from published literature. Survey-weighted procedures estimated daily per capita food retail loss, food waste, inedible portions, and consumed food, and were summed to represent Total Food Demand. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010. Data on food intake, loss, and waste were inputted into the US Foodprint Model to estimate the amount of agricultural land, fertilizer nutrients, pesticides, and irrigation water used to produce food.

Results

This study included dietary data from 50,014 individuals aged ≥2 y. Higher diet quality (HEI-2015 and AHEI-2010) was associated with greater per capita Total Food Demand, as well as greater retail loss, inedible portions, consumer waste, and consumed food (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). Consumed food accounted for 56–74% of agricultural resource use (land, fertilizer nutrients, pesticides, and irrigation water), retail loss accounted for 4–6%, inedible portions accounted for 2–15%, and consumer waste accounted for 20–23%. Higher diet quality was associated with lower use of agricultural land, but the relationship to other agricultural resources was dependent on the tool used to measure diet quality (HEI-2015 vs. AHEI-2010).

Conclusions

Over one-quarter of the agricultural inputs used to produce Total Food Demand were attributable to edible food that was not consumed. Importantly, this study also demonstrates that the relationship between diet quality and environmental sustainability depends on how diet quality is measured. These findings have implications for the development of sustainable dietary guidelines, which requires balancing population-level nutritional needs with the environmental impacts of food choices.

Animal Welfare and Livestock Supply Chain Sustainability Under the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) around the end of December 2019, has caused a worldwide public health emergency and a socioeconomic crisis during 2020. The lockdown imposed to cope with the health issues caused by the outbreak of the disease has dramatically challenged and negatively affected all the economic sectors of the modern global economy. Specifically, the livestock sector and its related industries are among the most impacted sectors. This is mainly ascribed to the limitations of animal movement and the decrease of production inputs' availability. Other factors negatively affecting the sustainability of the livestock sector have been the shortage of workers due to the lockdown/curfew, the strong decrease in the purchasing power of the consumer, and the intensification of health care tasks. Such an impact is not only highly relevant because of their economic consequences, but also because of the effects of the lockdown and sanitary rules on animal care and welfare. The current review aims to offer: (a) a comprehensive overview of the impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of farm animals and on the performance of livestock farming systems, on food chain sustainability, and finally, on the global economy and food security; and (b) a prospective outline of alleviation actions.

Assessing Community Contributions to Sustainable Food Systems: Dietitians Leverage Practice, Process and Paradigms

Food systems are not sustainable, and efforts to address this are paralyzed by the complex networks of food system actors and factors that interact across sectoral and geographic scales. Actions at the community level can positively contribute toward globally sustainable food systems (SFS). Assessing such contributions has two central challenges: 1) a lack of methods that support alignment between communities and across scales, balanced against the need to involve the community in developing relevant indicators; and 2) the absence of adequate, fine grained data relevant to the community. Addressing these two challenges, this paper illustrates a proposed procedure that supports community engagement with, and assessment of, their contributions. Engaged by a community of Canadian dietitians, researchers used the Delphi Inquiry method, guided by the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, to address the first challenge, and causal loop diagrams informed by the Cultural Adaptation Template to address the second. Indicators were developed for dietitian-identified actions and outcomes for SFS. Modeling indicator interactions provide insight into how some actions are influenced by and reinforce the value placed on SFS within the professional cultural paradigm, as well as priority areas for action and measurement. Process-oriented assessment is useful in the context of partial and subjective understandings of a dynamic system, and supports continual adjustment in action. This article offers theoretical and practical insight for community engagement in addressing some of the systemic challenges in food systems. It accommodates community-based knowledge, applies process-indicators, and emphasizes the importance of cultural paradigms as a driving force of community-level actions, and overall system change. Under current conditions, facilitating SFS literacy among dietitians can amplify adaptations for broader SFS development.

Analysis of Sustainability Knowingness, Attitudes and Behavior of a Spanish Pre-Service Primary Teachers Sample

In the context of climatic emergency, teaching for sustainability is crucial to transform damaging behavioral social paths into sustainable ones. In this contribution, we focus on the relevance of the Degree in Primary Education to reach this change, assessing through the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) the sustainability awareness of a sample of 151 students of this bachelor’s degree. SPSS and JASP statistical programs were used for data analyses and graphical representations. The results support that this test is appropriate to estimate the different dimensions of sustainability consciousness of Spanish pre-service primary teachers. Specifically, we found that these students assign higher scores to items of sustainability knowingness and sustainability attitudes above all in the social dimension. Some gender differences are found in sustainability behavior, which is higher in the male subset for the economic dimension. Correlation analysis reveals positive associations between sustainability knowingness and sustainability attitudes, whereas sustainability behavior is positively related to both constructs but only in the social dimension. These results highlight the necessity of teaching sustainability looking for behavioral changes in the Degree of Primary Education.