Webinar 1

Introducing the concept and context of sustainable healthy diets

Webinar 2

Current policies and global initiatives on sustainable and healthy diets

Webinar 3

Revision of current Food Based Dietary Guidelines and policy required

Webinar 4

The food cycle: from farming and sourcing to packaging and food waste

Webinar 5

Applying Sustainability in Dietetic Practice

Daniela Grach

Dietitian, MSc
Lecturer at the Institute of Dietetics at FH JOANNEUM, Graz, Austria

Abstract

“Proposals for implementation of sustainable nutrition in the professional fields of dietetics”

Bio

Daniela Grach, a dietician with a master’s degree in applied nutritional science, has been a lecturer at the Institute of Dietetics at FH JOANNEUM (Graz, Austria) since 2007. Previously, she worked at the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture (Nutrition Communication Resort), in hospitals and as a freelancer (e.g. in the field of workplace health promotion).

In teaching, external lecturing activities and applied research projects, her focus is on the areas of: Health promotion, sustainable nutrition, social and cultural aspects of nutrition, nutritional poverty, vulnerable target groups (people with cognitive impairments, socio-economically disadvantaged people, etc.), nutrition communication and interdisciplinary cooperation (with social work, among others). She has dedicated herself to the topic of “sustainable nutrition” (social, health, ecological, economic and cultural aspects of nutrition) for over 25 years. Among other things, she leads the courses “Nutrition and Sustainability” in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Dietetics as well as in the Master’s degree programme “Applied Nutritional Medicine”, initiated the working group “Nutritional Poverty and Sustainability” of the Association of Dieticians Austria and is its deputy head, holds lectures/seminars and led the development of the online training “Dietetics goes future” – Aspects of Sustainability in the Professional Field”. She is a member of the working group “Making healthy nutrition with high-quality food accessible to all” of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism and is networked in other bodies and initiatives in Austria (e.g. “Health for future/Scientist for future”, , PAN Austria).

Ujué Fresán

Pharmacist, MSc, PhD
Researcher at ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

“How can I follow a healthy and sustainable diet? From theory to practice”

Bio

Ujué Fresán is a Pharmacist, and holds a master in Public Health and a PhD in Biomedicine. She currently works as a researcher at ISGlobal (Barcelona), designing interventions to promote individual eating behavior change towards healthy and sustainable diets. He has received several awards for his research, including recognition as an “Emerging Leader in Nutrition Science” by the American Society of Nutrition. In addition, she has been invited to participate in WHO meetings as an expert in healthy and sustainable diets.

Pierre Garin

Registered dietician, Sports Nutritionist, Expert in food ecology, Vice-president of the UPDLF

Abstract

The alarming news about the situation of our planet, the economic complexities of the food industry and the health status of European citizens are very worrying. This should encourage us to become more efficient dieticians, more in line/prepared with this new reality, more credible and professional.

Our food security has been clearly endangered for some years and the necessary return to sustainable agriculture and a more natural diet requires dieticians trained in this very important branch of dietetics.

Through manufacturing processes and labelling, how can I simply choose my food to have as little impact as possible on my environment, to meet the requirements of food safety and above all, to support my nutritional/health needs?

This question is fundamental for all of us and especially dieticians oriented on food ecology.

ecology knowledge will allow the dietician’s to be anchored in current realities. The aim is to optimize our skills, to increase the credibility and highlight the recognition of our specialty in dietetics.

Bio

Vice-president of the Belgian professional union (French part), Pierre coordinates the sustainable health group of dietitians. It is with pride that he works with is sustainable team to highlight nutrition expertise and enhance it through health stakeholders.

After my studies in Dietetics, I had the opportunity to develop my skills for 15 years, within large pharmaceuticals companies and acquire through promotions and trainings, exceptional international professional experiences.

Intrinsically linked to nutrition and sustainable development, I decided in 2010 to create a new concept of bio-ethical store and initiate a new method of nutritional advice. After more than 10 years of interest in this subject, I decided to position myself with companies focused on organic and optimize my private practice on sports, exercises, food intolerances and sustainable food promotion.

Laura Batlle-Bayer

Agronomist, Researcher, UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF, Barcelona, Spain

Bio

Laura Batlle-Bayer is an agronomist, and she is currently a researcher at the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF (Barcelona, Spain). She has previously worked as a sustainability consultant at Blonk Consultants (NL), conducting environmental assessments with the life cycle assessment methodology. She has also worked as a researcher within projects related to climate change and land use change at Utrecht University, as well as a one-year research grant at ISRIC-World Soil Information.

Dr Sarah Browne

Lecturer / Assistant Professor in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science at University College Dublin 

Abstract

Sarah’s presentation on food waste and nutrition quality will include a background on food loss and waste and outline global and EU targets with reducing food waste.  It will examine the relationship between food waste, diet quality and the environment, and explore current interventions and opportunities to address food waste at retail and consumer levels. The presentation will conclude with suggestions for incorporating food waste actions into dietetic practice.  

Bio

Dr Sarah Browne is a registered dietitian and lecturer in clinical nutrition and dietetics in University College Dublin (https://people.ucd.ie/sarah.browne1).  She graduated from Trinity College Dublin and the Technical University of Dublin in 2006 and has a background working in community dietetics.  Since 2012 she has worked in research and teaching.  Her research interests and activity relate to food environments and health behaviours affecting children and young people, as well as obesity education and malnutrition in older adults.  She frequently works with charities and local NGOs to incorporate public engagement with the research process, most recently working with an environmental charity, VOICE Ireland, to undertake a schools-based project funded by the Irish Research Council examining the relationship between food waste, food packaging waste and nutrition quality.  

Prof. Rune Blomhoff

Professor in nutrition at the Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, Head of research, Department for Clinical Service, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital

Integrating sustainability into health-based diet guidelines in Nordic and Baltic countries

Abstract

The Nordic and Baltic countries develop a common synthesis of scientific literature that will form the basis for new updated national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG). This large collaborative project involve more than 400 scientist from the region. The health authorities in the countries have requested that sustainability should be implemented in the FBDGs. The new FBDGs, planned to be published in December 2022, will therefore be adapted to the local context and to the national sustainable food systems in the 8 countries. The presentation will include topics of special relevance for clinical nutritionists and dietitians.

Bio

Rune Blomhoff is professor in nutrition at the Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, and head of research at the Department for Clinical Service, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital. He has published more than 300 papers and is one of the most cited scientists in the field of nutrition research. He is the head of the committee that organize and develop the common FBDGs for the Nordic and Baltic counties.

Dr Ana Islas Ramos

Nutrition Officer in the Food and Nutrition Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Bio

Ana Islas Ramos serves as Nutrition Officer in the Food and Nutrition Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) where she leads the work on the development of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. Dr. Islas’ early work experiences include positions as food technologist, childbirth educator and clinical nutritionist. After graduate degrees in nutrition education, she took care of the nutrition education component of a project developing an educational video game for tweens. Later, she worked as a researcher and consultant for the National Institute of Public Health, Mexico where she coordinated the nutrition education component of a large multi-level multi-strategy intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity in upper elementary children in Mexico City. In 2013, Dr. Islas joined the Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education and Policy at Teachers College Columbia University whose mission includes cultivating research about connections between a just, sustainable food system and healthy eating. From 2014 to 2015, she served in the expert committee for the revision of the Mexican dietary guidelines.

Dr. Islas obtained her undergraduate degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, andgraduated from the masters and doctoral degree programs in Nutrition Education at Teachers College, Columbia University where she worked in the development of several nutrition education curricula with behavioural approaches and most with a sustainability focus.

Dr Christopher A Birt

Senior Lecturer, Senior Research Fellow, Consultant, University of Liverpool

Chris Birt is a Cambridge (King’s College) educated medical graduate. He specialised in hospital specialist medicine, and later in public health. He has worked as a Director of Public Health in both England and Scotland, but since 1993 has worked mainly in academic public health, in both Birmingham and Liverpool, specialising both in public health at European level generally, and in public health nutrition in particular. In collaboration with Japanese colleagues on the WHO CARDIAC Study, he was appointed as a Visiting Professor at the University of Kyoto in 1999. He served for six years on the Council of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, then as Vice-Chair of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), and as President of the Section on Food and Nutrition of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) for six years until 2018. He participated in the development of the European system of public health competences, as (at that time) a member of the Board of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER).


Brief summary

Global warming presents probably the most serious challenge to humankind that our species has ever had to address. The European Green Deal is the proposed EU’s response to this, and it aims to make the EU the world’s first carbon-neutral bloc by 2050. The Green Deal includes seven policy areas, two of which are relevant to food and nutrition: the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity policy areas.

The Farm to Fork Strategy aims “For a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system”. These strategic proposals describe how the EU will promote sustainable food production, sustainable food processing and distribution, sustainable food consumption, waste prevention and avoidance of food loss. The presentation will discuss these proposals in detail, and those for the Green Deal Biodiversity policy area.

Is the Farm to Fork Strategy an emerging European Food Policy, maybe eventually to replace the Common Agricultural Policy? This possibility will be discussed further.

Μanuel Moñino

EFAD’s European Specialist Dietetic Network in Public Health Lead

Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Postgraduate Human Nutrition, and Communication of Health Sciences.
Lead of the European Specialist Dietetic Network in Public Health of the European Federation of Dietetic Associations (EFAD). Researcher in the Biomedical Research Centre Network on Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition and the Institute of Sanitary Research of Balearic Islands in the Area of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology working in the PREDIMED & PREDIMED PLUS studies. Senior consultant in public health for the Spanish Association “5 a day”, the Global Alliance for the Promotion of F&V Consumption AIAM5 and the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. CEO Professional Body Dietitians-Nutritionists Balearic Islands; Author of 19 papers in indexes journals (WOS), 11 book chapters and 66 communications in international and national congresses. Observer member of the International Steering Committee of the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables 2021.

Brief summary

Current Policies and Global Initiatives on Sustainable and Healthy Diets.
Current dietary patterns are linked to health status of population and also to deleterious environmental consequences. The profile of a healthy diet with low environmental impact would imply variety of food mainly fresh and low processed, plant-based, use of sustainable vegetable fats and tap water, small amounts of animal-based foods, and care of food waste. However, before a dietary pattern is deemed healthy and sustainable, social, environmental, and economic pillars of sustainability within a food system should be considered. Featured policies and initiatives addressing food cultural, food seasonality, food literacy, farming practices, food chain specificities, food processing, food loss and waste, among others, will be shown. The EFAD position paper on Sustainable Dietary Patters, will be presented.as an initiative aims to raise awareness and promote sustainable healthy diets in Europe.

Ms Raquel Bernácer

RDN, MSc, independent consultant on plant-based nutrition, gastronomy and innovation

Raquel Bernácer is a dietitian-nutritionist with the purpose of freeing the public health from the enormous burden posed by non-communicable diseases through healthy plant-based nutrition. She works as a private consultant both for individuals and committed food companies for a better nutrition. She is also a mentor for other nutritionists sharing with them her more than 20 years’ experience in academia, food industry and entrepreneurship.
She’s a speaker and a writer, author of 2 podcasts: Alimentarte (Feed yourself) and La salud empieza en la cocina (Health begins in the kitchen) and 2 books: Aprende a desayunar (Learn how to have a healthy breakfast) and Lunes sin Carne. Consejos y recetas para cuidar de tu salud y del planeta (Meatless Monday. Tips and recipes to take care of your health and the planet). She also collaborates with different Spanish media as El Comidista, the food blog from El País and inspire others through her Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
Besides being trained as a dietitian-nutritionist at Barcelona Universty, she’s also MSc in Nutrigenomics and Personalized Nutrition and a trained plant-based chef.

Brief summary

In this webinar, we’ll review the concept of sustainable diets, their dimensions and the different types we may find across the globe. We’ll also discuss the relationship between sustainable diets and health, and the challenges we, as dietitians but also as consumers may find when making sustainable food choices.

Professor Filippo Arfini

Agricultural Economics, Department of Economic and Management Science, University of Parma

Filippo Arfini (PhD), Full Professor in Agricultural Economics at Department of Economic and Management Science of University of Parma (Italy). His research activity is focusing on three topics: the economics of Food Quality Schemes, assessment of CAP reform and Rural Development policies in Developed Countries. His has participating to several research projects in the framework of European Research Project (from FP4 up to H2020), as well as several Research Tenders from DG-Agri and EU Parliament. Currently he is Deputy of the H2020 Strenght2Food Project. Results of his research activity are published in several Italian and international scientific journals. He was appointed for six years as Board member of European Association of Agricultural Economics (EAAE) and from 2020 he is President of Italian Association of Agriculture and Applied Economist (AIEAA).

Brief summary
The concept of sustainability meets the aspects related to nutrition and healthy diets in a space that the FAO defines as “Food Environment”, but what are the elements that characterize this space? What is the role of the territories and of the value chains in its characterization to develop sustainable diets in the different regional contexts? Filippo Arfini’s presentation will deal with these topics by providing examples and elements for reflection.