GLOBAL NUTRITION
Sustainable Nutrition Initiative – Feed our Future Authors: Dr Nick Smith, Dr Andrew Fletcher, Olivia Finer & Professor Warren McNabb, Sustainable Nutrition Initiative, Riddet Institute For the global food system to be considered sustainable it must deliver enough nutrients to meet the needs of the global population. Researchers at the Riddet Institute have formed the Sustainable Nutrition Initiative (SNI), aiming to analyse how food production meets the nutritional needs of the world.
Goal: global nutrition Global nutrition means supplying the calories, macro-nutrients (fat, carbohydrates and protein), micro-nutrients and trace elements to individuals, regardless of their place on the planet. To achieve global health, we need global nutrition. SNI research will help to create a better understanding of the world’s food system and identify opportunities for improvement, to sustainably feed everyone with the nutrients required. A sustainable food system is “a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all, in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised. Our food system should be profitable throughout (economic sustainability), have broad-based benefits for society (social sustainability); and have a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability)”1. While it is essential to examine the environmental and socioeconomic
Dr Andrew Fletcher, Professor Warren McNabb and Dr Nick Smith
The Delta Model Delta is the mathematical operator for the difference between two values. The DELTA Model is so called because it examines the fundamental differences between the nutrients produced versus the nutrients required to keep a population healthy. It also lets us examine the difference in nutritional performance between two future scenarios. consequences of the global food system, ensuring adequate nutrition for future generations should be a priority. SNI has developed a modelling approach to test various scenarios for globally sustainable future food systems: the DELTA Model. This model is unique. It explores the ability of different food production scenarios to adequately feed the global population. It does not try to provide the answer to the perfect sustainable diet for individuals, since what might work for one individual does not necessarily work on a global level. SNI developed the DELTA Model to generate informed discussion around the possibilities for how the world can feed the world. And for the world to feed the world, nutrient-rich foods are required.
Sample output of the DELTA Model comparing the 2018 global food system (left-hand bars) with the same system applied to the 2030 population (right-hand bars). The black horizontal lines show the RDI. Although sufficient macronutrients are supplied, there are deficiencies in fibre, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and vitamin E in the 2030 scenario. This emphasises the need for research in these areas to ensure adequate nutrition for future generations 36
Food New Zealand
