1
|
Kapur M, Peña AN, Sreeram N, Bloem MW, Drewnowski A. What Is the Likely Impact of Alternative Proteins on Diet Quality, Health, and the Environment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Curr Dev Nutr 2024; 8:102064. [PMID: 38476726 PMCID: PMC10926135 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative protein (AP) foods are proposed to support a global protein transition. Whereas AP food innovation has been a strategy to promote consumption of protein sources with low environmental impact in high-income countries (HICs) diets, their relation to sustainable, high-quality diets in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains to be established. AP foods vary in nutrient profile, processing requirements, costs, and environmental impact. Current literature regarding AP suitability in LMIC contexts is limited. This perspective examined environmental and nutritional metrics that can assess the sustainability of AP in LMICs. Current research areas needed to accurately assess environmental impacts while considering nutritional density were identified. An overview of the usability of relevant AP in both high- and low-resource settings was also explored. Metrics addressing diverse contextual synergies in LMICs, unifying nutritional, environmental, and socioeconomic considerations, were found necessary to guide the integration of AP into LMIC diets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mansha Kapur
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alexis N. Peña
- Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Navya Sreeram
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Martin W. Bloem
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Adam Drewnowski
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Speich C, Barth-Jaeggi T, Musard C, Havugimana C, Nwokoro C, Gakuba E, Zamil F, Sécula F, Thönnissen C, Six J, Kraemer K, van Zutphen KG, Sonnevelt M, Tshering PP, Erismann S, van den Berg S, Winter S, Johnson-Chadwick V, Pannatier M, Gavin-Smith B, Barjolle D, Prytherch H. Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE): Protocol of a multi-sectoral development project to improve food and nutrition security of secondary city populations in Bangladesh, Kenya and Rwanda. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1081535. [PMID: 36817895 PMCID: PMC9932975 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1081535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Secondary cities tend to be better linked with local food systems than primate cities, acting as important platforms to trade agricultural produce with rural surrounding. COVID-19, conflicts and climate change continue to expose inefficiencies in food systems and have further exacerbated malnutrition, calling for substantial food systems transformations. However, tackling current food systems' challenges requires new approaches to ensure food and nutrition security. Nutritious and agroecologically produced food offer the potential to transform food systems by improving diets and alleviating pressure on the environment, as well as by creating jobs and reducing poverty. This paper describes the design of a project by a Swiss public-private consortium to improve food and nutrition security and to reduce poverty in city ecosystems in six secondary cities in Bangladesh, Kenya and Rwanda through governance/policy and supply and demand side interventions. Methods The Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) project promotes well-balanced nutrition for city populations through interdisciplinary agricultural, food, and health sector collaborations along city-specific value chains. Adopting a transdiciplinary systems approach, the main interventions of NICE are (i) advocacy and policy dialogue, (ii) building of decentralized institutional capacity in multi-sectoral collaborations, (iii) support of data-driven planning, coordination and resource mobilization, (iv) anchoring of innovations and new approaches in city-level partnerships, (v) capacity building in the agricultural, retail, health and education sectors, as well as (vi) evidence generation from putting policies into practice at the local level. NICE is coordinated by in-country partners and local offices of the Swiss public-private consortium partners. Discussion The NICE project seeks to contribute to urban food system resilience and enhanced sustainable nutrition for city populations by (A) strengthening urban governance structures involving key stakeholders including women and youth, (B) generating income for producers along the supply chain, (C) triggering change in producers' and consumers' behavior such that nutritious and agroecologically produced foods are both in demand as well as available and affordable in urban markets, and (D) allowing a scale up of successful approaches to other national and international cities and city networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Speich
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Barth-Jaeggi
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Capucine Musard
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cassien Havugimana
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kigali office, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Charles Nwokoro
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
- Sustainable Agroecosystems Group, Institute for Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Farhad Zamil
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Florence Sécula
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Thönnissen
- Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC) Global Food Security Programme, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Six
- Sustainable Agroecosystems Group, Institute for Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Kraemer
- Sight and Life, Kaiseraugst, Switzerland
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | | | | | - Séverine Erismann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sophie van den Berg
- Sustainable Agroecosystems Group, Institute for Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Winter
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marnie Pannatier
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Dominique Barjolle
- Sustainable Agroecosystems Group, Institute for Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Helen Prytherch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|