Healthy & Sustainable Diets

1. Introduction 2. The challenge 3. The business case 4. The solution 5. SDG Impact 6. Our Highlights 7. News & Insights 8. Related Resources

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Introduction

The Healthy and Sustainable Diets workstream drives food systems transformation by developing solutions that support healthy people on a healthy planet.

We take a “fork to farm” approach, starting with the dietary shifts that are required for everybody to eat well, responsibly and within planetary boundaries. We develop, implement and scale transformative business solutions aligned with science-based targets.

The challenge

Food plays a vital economic and cultural role in every society. However, the processes by which societies grow, manufacture, transport, consume and dispose of food are also driving global nutritional, environmental and socioeconomic challenges.

It contributes to approximately one-quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, three-quarters of biodiversity loss, and is a leading cause of non-communicable disease adding to societal cost burdens through health care, stunting and malnutrition.  While many short-term solutions already exist and simply require scaling, a long-term plan for food reform is essential for creating healthy, enjoyable food for all, produced responsibly within planetary boundaries by 2030.

The business case

By growing, trading, processing, manufacturing, preparing, selling, and marketing food to people all over the world, business is central to our global food systems.

Food value chain actors have a critical role to play in driving positive food systems transformation and providing healthy diets to all. New business models are needed to ensure all players along the food value chains align their efforts to ensure everyone has access to nutritious and affordable food, that food is consumed sustainably, and that food production does not contribute to the rapid degradation of nature and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The solution

The Healthy & Sustainable Diets workstream is a unique coalition of leading companies across the value chain and beyond, which are collaborating on a pre-competitive basis to support healthy people on a healthy planet.

We are the leading global business initiative developing ambitious, action-oriented solutions delivering healthy and sustainable diets to all, produced responsibly and within planetary boundaries.

SDG Impact

Food systems must change to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Such a transformation demands a systemic approach covering health and nutrition, the environment and socio-economics. SDG 17 points out the key role an unprecedented degree of cooperation will play in order to succeed. The Healthy & Sustainable Diets workstream facilitates the pre-competitive collaboration of over 30 member companies to scale up transformative business solutions across the food value chain that are aligned with science-based targets.