Scientific evidence in nutrition policy
- 13.07.2022
- English Articles
- Peter von Philipsborn
Peer reviewed / Manuscript (overview) received: 13 September 2021 / Revision accepted: 30 November 2021
Why do we need nutrition policies?
The global food system is both a miracle and a disaster – these are the opening words of the UK’s national food strategy, published in July 2021 [1]. This is a concise and pertinent diagnosis. Indeed, contrary to prophecies of Malthusian2 doom, the global food system today produces sufficient food for more than seven billion people. Highly complex, internationally networked production systems and supply chains ensure that a growing proportion of the world's population can choose from a historically unique variety of foods all year round, with minimal effort and at reasonable prices [1]. But the challenges facing the food system are also gigantic, and experts are all too familiar with them: The food system is responsible for a quarter to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is the main driver behind biodiversity and habitat loss, land degradation and the loss of freshwater reserves [1–3]. Each year, billions of sentient beings live and die in often miserable conditions for the production of animal-based foods, which raises legitimate questions of ethics and responsibility [4]. The prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases is on the rise worldwide and is growing particularly rapidly in the Global South [5].
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1 The article is based on an online plenary lecture at the scientific congress of the German Society for Nutrition on 12 March 2021.
Abstract
The global food system is facing enormous challenges which call for decisive political action. Scientific evidence can help to identify promising policy options, and to assess the intended effects and the unintended consequences of these. Policy decisions should not be made on the basis of individual studies, but should consider the entire body of available evidence. In line with calls for a pluralism of methods, this body of evidence includes various forms of direct and indirect evidence. The following article outlines the diverse evidence base for three key policies: regulation of food advertising, food taxation, and nutrition education. Particularities of nutrition policy research call for a broad dialogue between the scientific community, relevant societal and political actors, and the public.
Keywords: Nutrition policies, food system, evidence-based public health, public engagement with science
