Sustainable food for sustainable diets?

The challenge of ecological public health

Tim Lang

Centre for Food Policy, City University London, UK. e: t.lang@city.ac.uk

Paper to Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, April 11, 2012

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

The Evidence

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LAC53m

Asia & Pac642m

SSA265m

NENA 42m

Developed15m

Food systems are already failing many:

1.02 billion people hungry in 2009

Food and NCDs (a familiar story)(WHO Global Status Rep 2010)

• Tobacco

• Alcohol

• Salt

• Saturated fats

• Trans fats

• etc

• Blood pressure

• Overweight

• Social gradient

• Raised cholesterol

• etc

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Diet-related results (serious)

Health outcomes:

• Cancers

• CHD

• Diabetes

• etc

Associated with:

• Physical activity

• Fruit and vegetables

• Fat

• etc

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Diet and cancers: factors adviceWCRF/AIRC 2007 report

• Body fatness– Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.

• Physical activity– Be physically active as part of everyday life.

• Foods and drink that promote weight gain– Limit consumption of energy-dense foods. Avoid sugary drinks.

• Eat mostly foods of plant origin– Eat mostly foods of plant origin.

• Animal foods– Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat.

• Alcoholic drinks– Limit alcoholic drinks.

• Preservation, processing, preparation– Limit consumption of salt. Avoid mouldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes).

• Dietary supplements– Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone.

• Breastfeeding– Mothers to breastfeed; children to be breastfed.

• Cancer survivors– Follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.

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Planetary Boundaries already exceeded?Source: Rockström, Steffen et al. 2009

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Food’s environmental impactsources: Rayner & Lang World Nutrition April 2012

• Modern agriculture = c14% greenhouse gas (GHG) (UN)

• Of agriculture-related GHGs (Stern 2007)

– animals are responsible for 31%

– fertilizers (nitrous oxide: N2O) for 38%.

• Meat &dairy = 24% of EU consumers’ impact (EIPRO 2009)

• C50% cereals fed to animals. (Steinfeld/FAO 2008)

• 15 / 24 world ecosystem services = degraded or unsustainably used– Food is a major source of this degradation (MEA 2005)

• Global agriculture uses 70% of all freshwater extracted for human use (WWF Thirsty Crops)

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More....

• “Intensive livestock production is probably the largest sector-specific source of water pollution”

(UN World Economic and Social Survey 2011)

• Intensive water use for food products:(Chapagain Hoekstra 2007):

– 200 litres water to produce 200ml milk

– 2400 litres water to produce a 150g hamburger

• C20th lost c75% genetic diversity of domestic agricultural crops (FAO 1995)

• 52% of global wild fish stocks ‘fully exploited’FAO SOFA 2007

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The Global shift in diet 1970-2000source: Defra Fd Sec Assessment Jan 2010 p19

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This is a cultural transition!

• What we eat

• How it is made

• Where we buy it

• How and where we consume

• Food’s meanings not just nutritional impact

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But the economics are fragile

The 2007-08 prices spike

Is the long drop in prices halted?

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FAO food price index todayhttp://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/foodpricesindex/en/ [accessed April 6 2012]

FAO food price index 1990-2012 http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/foodpricesindex/en/ [accessed April 6 2012]

Volatility ahead? OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2019 prices will be lower than 2008 but higher than before

Source: OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2010-201915

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Is this a policy failure?

Or the result of policy?

Certainly, an evidence-policy MISMATCH

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The legacy of Productionism

Science + Technology + Distribution cut Waste Output rise Prices fall Affordability rise = Health +

Progress

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Rev. Thomas Malthus

(1766-1834)An Essay on the Principle of

Population (1798)

Dr Karl Marx

(1818-1883)

Political economist

Fr Gregor Mendel(1822-1884)

Monk, gardener,

geneticist

An old debate: the 3 M’s

C19th Agricultural progressives

Sir John Bennet Lawes(1803-1873)

agricultural research Rothamsted

Justus von Liebig(1803-1873)

chemist Giessen

Mid C20th change agents: food, health, income & farm

Sir John Boyd Orr (1880-1971)public health 1st D-G of FAO

Sir George Stapledon (1882-1960)soil scientistAberystwyth

Elsie Widdowson CH (1908-2000)nutritionistCambridge

How is current policy addressing the problem?

Mainly soft measures

But there are emerging discourses

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There is no agreement yet on....

• What a sustainable lifestyle is

• What sustainable consumption is

• What sustainable production is

• What sustainable food systems are

• What a sustainable diet is

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Measures to address change

• Generally ‘soft’– Labels

– Education

– Information

– Appeals to consumers

– Corporate Responsibility

• Not working– Fast enough

– Deep enough

– Even within health, let alone environment

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From the policy perspective, we have:

• Tensions between:– Consumerism / environment / market economics

– Health / food supply

• Nervous politicians

BUT...

• Some emerging policy frameworks – EU: SCP, climate change commitments,

• Growing recognition by companies and NGOs of need for change

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Agreement on...

• Food is a central issue

• Sustainability is a real problem

• Current lifestyles not sustainable (however measured)

• Inaction will increase negative impacts:

– Climate change

– Water stress/shortage

– Natural resource damage

– Eco-systems damage.

– Human Ill-health25

Some policy responsesLevel of action Policy action Limitations

Global High Level Task Force (2008ff); Committee on World Food Security (CFS); Rio+20 (June 2012)

Tends to suffer from LDC focus (little about the rich and powerful DCs); marginalised by financial crisis

Regional / EU CAP reform CAP2020; Sustainable Consumption & Production (SCP) programme

Not joined up with health; marginalised by eurozone crisis; locked into intra-CAP dynamics

National / UK Food Matters (2008); Food 2030; Food Business Plan 2011-15; Green Food Project (2011-12)

Emerging structural reviews not followed up or consolidated into action

Sub-national /Scotland, Wales

Scotland: SDAP review (2007) SNP Food & Drink Scotland. Wales: Rural + public purchasing

More holistic than England /UK but some sector ‘myopia’ (eg alcohol and sheep)

Local Community food actions; Food Policy Councils;

Build networks but little influence on powerful corporate interests

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Sustainable Food: some EU developments 2008-12

• Sustainable Consumption-Production & Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan (2008)

• Suitability of the potential extension of the Ecolabel to foodproducts

• European Food Sustainable Consumption Production (SCP) Roundtable (2009-) co-chairs DG Environment & European Food & Feed Trade Associations. Based in FoodDrinkEurope) & supported by JRC.

• DG Environment & JRC (2011 -2012): Harmonised framework methodology for the calculation of the environmental footprint of products.

• Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe (2011) part of the actions form Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (2010)

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Sustainable food consumption and production –emerging Govt policy advice in Europe (North)

UK 2006 Sustainable Development Commission

(SDC) & National Consumer Council

Sustainable Consumption “I

will if you will” – generic

Germany

1990s

(2008)

German Council for Sustainable

Development

Sustainable Shopping Basket :

includes food – lists labels and

schemes

EU 2008 Sustainable Consumption-Production &

Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan

Voluntary initiatives – but little

food focus

Netherlands

2009

LNV Ministry – Policy outline for achieving

Sustainable Food

Sustainable food production &

consumer educ. campaigns

Sweden

2009

National Food Administration (& Swedish

EPA) – notification to EU (withdrawn 2011)

Environmentally friendly food

choices

UK 2009 SDC, Council of Food Policy Advisors

Dept Environment Food Rural Affairs (Defra)

Recommend defining low

impact (sustainable) healthy

diet

Netherlands

2011Health Council for Ministry Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation

Guidelines Healthy Diet:

Ecological Perspective

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Companies meanwhile are engaging• International companies:

– 2002: SAI launched Groupe Danone, Nestlé, Unilever

– 2009 (Oct 16): G30 top TNCs initiative Coca-Cola, Tesco, Unilever,

News International

– 2010: World Economic Forum process (out 2011)

• UK companies:

– 2007: IGD Food Industry Sustainability Strategy Champions Group focus on low carbon + ethics

– 2008: Tesco gives £25m Manchester SCI

– 3 retailers’ choice-edit M&S Plan A, Co-operative Group, Waitrose

• A product specific approach, not overall diet

What is meant by Sustainability in policy?

It is used by bankers, too!

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Current approach to food sustainability

• A tendency to focus on climate change

– CO2 is very important ...but....

• Downplays biodiversity, water, soil, land, etc

• Repeats Productionist emphasis on supply

• Downplays culture, consumption ie demand

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Key hotspots show food is more than an environmental challenge

• Meat & dairy:– Aspirational (rises + €) but high impact (health + enviro)

• Waste:– 30% after consumers buy it (rich countries)

– c40% globally at farm level (poor countries)

• Inequalities:– Within / between countries (even in EU

• Prices:– Failure to internalise full costs

– But would consumers pay more?

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Sustainability: an unclear term?

• Brundtland report 1987

• Triple focus: enviro + society + econ

• “meeting needs now without compromising the ability of future generations to meet needs”

BUT IS THIS NOW DETAILED ENOUGH?

• I think not

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UK Sustainable Development Commission 2011 report proposed sustainability as a complex set of ‘poly-values’

http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187

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Quality Social values• Taste

• Seasonality

• Cosmetic

• Fresh (where appropriate)

• Authenticity

• Pleasure

• Identity

• Animal welfare

• Equality & justice

• Trust

• Choice

• Skills (citizenship)

Environment Health• Climate change

• Energy use

• Water

• Land use

• Soil

• Biodiversity

• Waste reduction

• Safety

• Nutrition

• Equal access

• Availability

• Social status/ affordability

• Information & education

Economy Governance• Food security & resilience

• Affordability (price)

• Efficiency

• True competition & fair returns

• Jobs & decent working conditions

• Fully internalised costs

• Science & technology evidence base

• Transparency

• Democratic accountability

• Ethical values (fairness)

• International aid & development

FAO Sustainable Diets International Scientific Symposium,

Rome November 3-5, 2010

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The difference this makes

• Changes the general policy framework

• Resolves nutrition’s intellectual split:

– life science, social, eco-nutrition (Lang et al 2009)

• Sets new challenges

• Resets moral compass

• Puts Needs not Wants as food system’s drivers

• Helps shape institutional reform

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INPUTS

eg, agrichemicals, pharmaceuticals, equipment

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

farming, fishing, horticulture

PROCESSING & MANUFACTURE

DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS

eg, national/international, import/export

RETAIL

eg, supermarkets, shops

CATERING

restaurants, public sector

DOMESTIC FOOD PREPARATION

International Organizations Policy guidelines, advice, etc

Regional bodies Regulations, law, subsidies, etc

National governments Laws, regulations, subsidies, etc

Socio-cultural influences, eg religion, gender,

family

Consciousness industries, eg advertising, media

Health, hygiene controls

Environmental ‘givens’ eg climate, water, land,

biodiversity

Civil society organisations

Social policies

Human labour, skills & education

Research, development, engineering & technology

The food system, its external influences and outcomes: a flowchart

Local governments Laws, regulations, subsidies, etc

Social impact Waste & biological outflow eg pollutants

Energy & material outflow

Economic drivers eg price, profits

Health / ill-healthcultural impact

Finance capital

CONTEXT

SHAPING FORCES

INSTITUTIONS

OUTCOMES

Where do we go from here?

The Ecological Public Health agenda

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We must....• Champion Ecological Public Health as the

paradigm (Rayner & Lang 2012)

• Rethink diet around environmental limits:– Fork to farm (not farm to fork)

• Begin work on EU Sustainable Dietary Guidelines

• Help redesign food systems around Sust Diets– Not around reformed production

• Be open about the moral dimension: Health is about social progress!

• Ask if our institutions are fit for this purpose

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For us professionally....

• Ask our professional bodies to engage

• Press for our Governments to produce sustainable dietary advice (and at EU)

• From CAP Common Sustainable Food Policy

• Include all dimensions that shape conditions on which health depends:

– Material / bio-physiological / social / cognitive

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To deliver Sustainable Diets means

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Change from …

…to… …with troubleahead over…

Nutrition guidelines

Eco-nutrition guidelines

linking calories with carbon

Food products Total diet Eco-brand images

Control green claims

Verifiable standards

Advertising and marketing

Global all year sourcing

Sustainableseasonality

Defining sustainability

Low cost food as a good

Full cost accounting

Consumer expectations

Conclusions• Food system change is

– complex but not incomprehensible

– requires multi-level /-sector /-disciplinary work

– links the material, biological, cognitive and social

• The discourse needs to change

• Leadership & incentives are sorely needed

• We need to be active

• We don’t want change to be forced on us

• There is enough evidence for policy to change

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Thank you!

t.lang@city.ac.uk

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