The aim of the discussion paper is to elevate sustainable food consumption to the forefront of discussions on food security and sustainable development.
The 44-page paper includes sections on: food consumption patterns; case studies on unsustainable food consumption patterns; opportunities for action; and key messages.
17 June 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a discussion paper titled “The critical role of global food consumption patterns in achieving sustainable food systems.” The report was released at an event on “Secure Food Systems, Drivers for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” held on the sidelines of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
The aim of the discussion paper is to elevate sustainable food consumption to the forefront of discussions on food security and sustainable development. The 44-page paper includes sections on: food consumption patterns; case studies on unsustainable food consumption patterns; opportunities for action; and key messages.
Key messages in the report include: considering the consumptive drivers that shape and largely dictate the design of unsustainable production patterns; adopting concrete action by the public and private sectors to redirect elements of the universally-observed nutrition transition to diets based on less resource-intensive foods; and curbing the amount of food loss and waste generated annually across the globe.
The paper further emphasizes that consumptive trends are detrimentally affecting health, the agro-ecological resource base and its ability to provide sustainably, as well as food security. [Publication: The Critical Role of Global Food Consumption Patterns in Achieving Sustainable Food Systems]