Week 1: Climate change, Sustainability – Health Promotion
● Understand and explain the WHO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
● Recognise the relationship between climate change and health and the associated
themes and trends.
● Understand the nature of complex problems resulting from interconnected social,
political, and climate change issues, and the associated challenges
● Articulate key public health concepts related to climate change
Food system = encompassing all the stages of keeping people fed: growing, harvesting,
packing, processing, transporting, marketing, consuming, and disposing of food. It’s
ecosystems, agricultural systems, processing systems, transportation systems, marketing
systems, and much more. It’s the interconnected web of resources, activities, and people
and the decisions that they make that gets food to your table.
How climate change affects the food system
Climate change has a big impact on the food system, with great risks in the tropical regions
and for the poor. Overall, climate change will have a negative impact on food production,
which means less food will be available and it will be more expensive. Extreme weather
conditions and rising sea levels pose threats to transportation systems. Warmer
temperatures impact agricultural pests and diseases (crop loss), food storage, and cause
food safety issues.
Systems thinking = makes it possible to explore and understand the relationships among
food systems and their component parts.
The predator-prey relationship is an example of a feedback loop. As the rodent population
grows, the owl population grows in response; as the rodent population shrinks through
predation, the owl population declines.
The ocean
About 25 percent of ocean species depend on reefs for food and shelter. If the bleaching
continues, it will affect everything else. Climate change also affects heat, sea level, coastal
flooding and ocean acidity. Most creatures are very prone to changes.
,Extreme weather and flooding
Larger and more frequent floods can affect soil health. It will become oxygen deprived and
stop fungi from colonizing roots. Salt water intruding irrigation systems means trouble.
How the food system affects climate change
● Large portions leave a lot of food uneaten, which means a lot of it will go to waste.
● Atmospheric methane is increasing due to microscopic organisms in the soil and the
use of nitrogen fertilizer which feeds soil bacteria.
● The two key factors of producing food: transportation and refrigeration, which
produce greenhouse gases.
Responding to climate change
1. One response is adaptation. We identify ways to reduce the impact of climate change
on human and natural systems.
2. Another response is mitigation. We adopt strategies to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and enhance ways to absorb greenhouse gases, like preserving forests
and restoring rangeland.
- Water management: drip irrigation
- Reducing food waste: using imperfect produce, make labels understandable, sharing
food via share tables, donating or composting in gardens.
- Agroecology: applies local solutions for transitioning to sustainable agriculture in
different regions of the world.
- Soil strategies: keeping soil covered with plants (cover crops like legumes, grass,
mustards and natives), regenerative grazing and composting can help increase
carbon in soil.
- Biodiversity: develop new breeds that adapt to local conditions.
The WHO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
,The SDG’s stand for a better and more sustainable future for us all. They developed 17
goals which are all interconnected: when you achieve a goal, the other goals will be boosted
as well. You don't have to know all the goals, but you should know what their aim is.
During these 20 weeks students will be working on a project which consists of goal 2, goal 3
or goal 12. An introduction is given in the lectures below.
Lecture about goal 12 - sustainability
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce
food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
I: What is the problem? The growth of consumption in animal products and protein (1.5x
recommendation). With this consumption pattern, we exceed the safe operating space of the
earth: climate change. Food represents 21-37% of our carbon-footprint (meat-based protein
mostly).
II:Sustainable diets are those diets with low environmental impact which contribute to food
and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. This is related to
the SDG's because they are protective and respectful to biodiversity and ecosystems
(biosphere). This is related mostly to Goal 12.
The planetary boundaries show exactly which boundaries have been crossed and which are
in danger/which aren't. The economical ceiling is the limit of the earth. We want to go from
the 'donut' model to the lemon slice model. Food foundation is what we require for a healthy
life. We're looking for diets which are healthy and sustainable, the 'green' area.
What are the possibilities in diets? There is a range of solutions in the 'green area', but the
range is small.
● Follow a dietary pattern that involves eating more plant-based and less animal-based
food.
● Healthy & sustainable: Mediterranean, New Nordic, Low Lands: low meat, sugar and
alcohol. They are high in nutrient dense foods and low in calories.
● Wheel of Five: choose your protein sources carefully > shift to 50% animal+50%
plant.
● EAT-Lancet diet > feeding 10 billion people in 2050: less red meat (1 portion/week),
more fish, less dairy and less potatoes than the wheel of five.
III: How is nutrition density related to environmental impact? SNRF-index (Sustainable
Nutrient Rich Foods) shows food that is low in sugar, saturated fats and salt. High in fiber,
essential fatty acids and plant-based protein. With this index you can calculate how bad
something is for the environment and how healthy they are. Milk and meat have a low SNRF,
nuts have a high SNRF. The index is divided in the red, grey, brown and green group.
Combining new protein sources with traditional ones, does not change the protein quality of
the total diet substantially. Combining these will increase the quality of your diet (oatmeal,
burritos, etc.)
Lemon slice model:
Do you want a sustainable diet? High nutritional value within the planetary boundaries.
, Lecture about goal 3 - NCDs
By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through
prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
Non communicable diseases are diseases that are not transmitted directly from one person
to another. NCDs include Parkinson's disease, autoimmune diseases, strokes, most heart
diseases, most cancers, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis,
Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and others.
Risk factors for NCDs include high blood pressure, physical activity, obesity, raised
cholesterol, decreased vegetable and fruit intake, raised blood glucose, alcohol and tobacco.
There are four main groups of NCDs
- cardiovascular diseases
- diabetes
- chronic respiratory diseases
- cancer
All the NCDs are majorly preventable by
adopting a healthy lifestyle. NCDs aren’t only
a health problem, but a developmental
challenge as well. It requires more than
personal determination, e.g. grocery stores promote junk food over healthy food, recreational
areas aren’t safe and advertising. Laws and regulations are required to make the healthy
choice the easiest choice. Some steps have already been taken: reformulating foods to
make them healthier (no sugar), making more fresh foods available, regulating the sale of
junk food in cafeteria, increasing alcohol, tobacco and soda prices, free water taps, banning
tobacco use in closed spaces and limiting advertising, and adding more cycling roads.
Governments should give access to health services and give information to the citizens to
manage their own health and give them control over their own health and contributing to the
health of their families.
Priority areas that are within the roles of dietitians
1. Create healthy food and drink environments and encourage physical activity for all
population groups.
2. Promote the health gains of a healthy diet throughout the life-course, especially for
the most vulnerable.
3. Reinforce health systems to promote health and to provide services for NCDs.
4. Support surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research of the population’s
nutritional status and behaviours.
5. Strengthen governance, alliances and networks and empower communities to
engage in health promotion and prevention efforts.
