November 2021
It’s November and you need a good selection of readings on food systems and health? Enjoy the bi-monthly EPHA food feed !
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Contents
Food Systems & People’s Health
Policy Briefing I Discovering the role of food environments for sustainable food systems. By the EU Food Policy Coalition.
This policy briefing describes the central role that food environments play in shaping food consumption and their potential to leverage a healthy food system transformation. It presents a vision for enabling food environments and calls on public authorities to step-up their role by identifying 7 areas for action.
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A multi-billion-dollar opportunity – Repurposing agricultural support to transform food systems. By FAO, UNDP and UNEP.
This report sets out the compelling case for repurposing harmful agricultural producer support and provides guidance to reverse this situation. READ MORE
Exploration I Meat production and consumption in Europe and public health. By Nikolai Pushkarev (EPHA).
This paper explores the connection between current levels of meat production and consumption in Europe and public health. READ MORE
COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health: The Health Argument for Climate Action. By the World Health Organization (WHO).
This Report proposes 10 priority actions from the global health community to governments and policy makers to act on the climate and health crises. Recommendation 8 calls for the promotion of sustainable and resilient food production and more affordable, nutritious diets that deliver on both climate and health outcomes. READ MORE
Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation and Summit Actions. By the Independent Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit (UN FSS).
This Reader reports about the outcomes of the UN FSS. Among others, Section III on Actions on Hunger and Healthy Diets highlights various actions to tackle economic and structural costs to shift to healthy and sustainable consumption patterns. READ MORE
2021 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
By the Lancet Countdown international collaboration.
The Lancet Countdown monitors the health consequences of a changing climate and notably reveals its impact on food insecurity and productivity in countries with low and medium Human Development Index. READ MORE
Climate change risk assessment 2021. By Chatham House.
This report reveals the impact of a warming planet on health and agriculture: 10m people a year will be at risk from extreme temperatures, 700m will be exposed to severe droughts, agricultural yields will decline by 30% by 2050. READ MORE
Commercial determinants
Food Marketing To Children needs rules with teeth. By Emma Calvert (BEUC)
This snapshot survey presents ample evidence that industry self-regulation of food marketing to children is not working and advocates for binding EU rules. READ MORE
Digital deception – The marketing of Unhealthy Food: Building a Youth-Led Response. By World Obesity Federation.
This briefing outlines common forms of marketing and existing regulations. It highlights actions that you(th) can take to advocate with governments to restrict marketing of unhealthy products. READ MORE
‘Alcohol marketing during the 2020 Six Nations Championship’. By Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP).
This project looks at the prevalence of alcohol advertising in the 2020 Six Nations and the implications of Ireland’s upcoming 12 November marketing policy changes. READ MORE
How does market power affect the resilience of food supply? By Merkle et al. (2021), Global Food Security
This paper explores the links between market power and the resilience of food supply chains to shocks, focusing on the UK as an example. READ MORE
Food and Agriculture Benchmark. By the World Benchmarking Alliance.
The Benchmark measures and ranks 350 keystone companies and shows that the sector is not on track in transitioning to a sustainable food system. READ MORE
EU Food & Drink Policy
European Parliament resolution on a farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system. By the European Parliament.
On 20 October, the European Parliament adopted the final own initiative report on the Farm To Fork Strategy. READ MORE
Dietary guidelines for co-benefits: a case for European action. By Nikolai Pushkarev (EPHA).
This article suggests considering dietary guidelines as an anchor point to create empowering and enabling food environments and to further build sustainable food systems. READ MORE
Harmful chemicals in food packaging hamper the circular economy. By HEAL, Zero Waste Europe, CHEM Trust & ClientEarth.
This infographic illustrates how harmful chemicals in food packaging can hamper the circular economy and put our health at risk. READ MORE
The Farm to Fork strategy: an ambitious and realistic innovation pathway for the European food system. By Pierre-Marie Aubert and Xavier Poux.
This article addresses the criticisms faced by the Commission’s strategy by showing their methological shortcomings and limitations. READ MORE
Research Highlights
What scale for the food system? Moving beyond polarised debates. By Carlile & Garnett (2021), TABLE Reports. READ MORE
Are Livestock Always Bad for the Planet? Rethinking the Protein Transition and Climate Change Debate. By Houzer & Scoones Brighton, PASTRES. READ MORE
Trends in UK meat consumption: analysis of data from years 1–11 (2008–09 to 2018–19) of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme. By Stewart et al. (2021), The Lancet Planetary Health. READ MORE
Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods. By Xu et al. (2021), Nature Food. READ MORE
Corporate political activity in the context of unhealthy food advertising restrictions across Transport for London: A qualitative case study. By Lauber et al.(2021), PLoS medicine. READ MORE
Awareness of alcohol marketing one year after initial implementation of Ireland’s Public Health (Alcohol) Act and during the COVID-19 pandemic. By Critchlow & Crawford (2021), Journal of Public Health. READ MORE