APPENDICES
131G2 Background
These Guidelines have a firm evidence base and a primary focus on meeting population nutritional requirements,
this appendix may assist health professionals to discuss the complex issue of food, nutrition and environmental
sustainability with interested individuals. The aim would be to encourage people to review their dietary patterns
with a primary focus on improving their health, while allowing them to consider ways to reduce environmental
consequences.
The production and consumption of food has a range of environmental consequences. The food system includes
interdependent components that provide food for local consumption or export.^1040 It is a subset of the natural
environment, and depends on and impacts on biodiversity – in Australia and globally.1051,1055 The food system
encompasses numerous environmental inputs such as land, water and energy during the many stages from
‘paddock to plate’. The resultant outputs may include greenhouse gases, waste water, land deterioration,
packaging and food waste. Figure G1 gives examples of environmental consequences within the food system.
The concept of food consumption habits with lower environmental impact is not new but it is complex.^1056 In 2003,
the joint Expert Panel of the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agricultural Organisation outlined
basic recommendations for dietary patterns that are ‘not only healthier but more favourable to the environment
and sustainable development’.^1046 This integration of environment and health was also noted in the 2003 edition
of the Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults.^36 Since then, the body of evidence relating to the multifaceted
relationship between food systems, sustainability and health has increased but there are still many gaps in our
understanding of what this means within the Australian context.
In Australia, the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council’s 2010 report into food security
emphasised the need to balance the imperative of feeding a growing population with maintaining environmental
integrity.^1057 However, in easing the pressure on the food system, it is also important to balance nutritional
requirements for health and the prevention of chronic disease.^97 This highlights the complex challenge faced by
health professionals, where recommended dietary patterns that meet nutritional needs must also be sustainable
— that is, equitable, affordable and considerate of environmental factors.1042,1056,1058
Fostering a sustainable, globally competitive, resilient food supply that supports access to nutritious and affordable
food is the primary aim of the National Food Plan.^1059 Appropriately, health should be considered in sustainable
food systems, where the nutritional requirements of the population can be met without placing pressure on
natural resources.97,1040,1042,1056 A range of concurrent approaches are required to achieve this, relating primarily to
food production and food consumption.