Building ‘Sustainability’ into National Healthy Eating Guidelines
- Project start date: 1 January 2021
- Project status: Completed
- Project type: Nutrition
- Discipline: Food chain
- Principal researcher/s: Dr Janas Harrington, UCC
Research objective
- To identify best practices and practical approaches for integrating sustainability into healthy eating guidelines on the island of Ireland.
- To explore the potential policy implications of these approaches, based on existing literature and the experience, knowledge, and expertise of a broad range of stakeholders on the island of Ireland.
- The research was conducted through five interconnected tasks: case studies of other countries, a literature review, consumer surveys, expert panel consultations, and focus group discussions.
Outputs
Research report
- Title: Building sustainability into national healthy eating guidelines
- Publication date: 31 May 2023
- Summary: Review of international practice and practical implications for policy.
- Findings:
Case studies: Seven countries where sustainability has been integrated into their dietary guidelines were analysed. Common practices included:
- Basing guidelines on current eating patterns and health challenges.
- Complementary policies and public consultations. Public involvement and pre-testing for understanding are crucial.
- Focus on food waste reduction and promoting local, seasonal foods.
- Recommendations to limit overconsumption, especially of processed foods.
- Clear guidance on animal-based foods and other specific dietary aspects is needed.
Literature review: A review of 54 journal articles highlighted factors influencing consumer behaviour towards sustainable diets:
- Low awareness and understanding of the environmental impact of diets.
- Scepticism about scientific evidence and the global impact of individual habits.
- Multiple meanings of sustainable diets exist, with human health being a primary focus.
- Strategies for promoting sustainable diets include early education and emphasizing the co-benefits of dietary changes.
Consumer survey: A survey of 2,525 residents on the island of Ireland revealed:
- The need to reconnect human and ecological health and to build awareness and knowledge about sustainable diets.
- Affordability, accessibility, and nutrition are key factors influencing food purchases.
- There is a mixed interest in reducing animal-based food consumption, with some already reducing red and processed meat.
- Popular sustainable behaviours include eating home-cooked meals and reducing food waste.
Expert panel: Combining evidence from various tasks, experts identified sustainable dietary guidelines for the island of Ireland and proposed actions including:
- Proposed goals and actions to promote sustainable diets require policy coherence, shared responsibility across sectors.
- Promoting plant-based diets and redefining the relationship with food.
- Addressing vested interests and inaccuracies in policy and media.
- Further research to resolve low agreement on some guidelines.
Focus groups: Seven focus groups explored perceptions and potential issues with sustainable dietary recommendations. Findings included:
- Low knowledge and awareness of sustainable diets.
- Perceptions that sustainable diets are expensive and less accessible.
- The need for clearer guidance on plant-based diets, red meat consumption, and processed vs. ultra-processed foods.
- Recommendations:
Policy development
- Integrate sustainability into dietary guidelines with clear links to health and environmental benefits.
- Ensure policy coherence and shared responsibility across sectors.
- Align national agricultural efforts with sustainable consumer practices.
Public awareness and education:
- Increase awareness of the environmental impact of diets.
- Promote early education on sustainable diets and their co-benefits.
- Provide clear and transparent information on sustainable dietary practices.
Support for sustainable practices:
- Make sustainable choices more accessible and affordable.
- Promote plant-based diets and reduce consumption of red and processed meats.
- Provide clear guidance on distinguishing between processed and ultra-processed foods.
You can download the full report and a summary below.
Building ‘sustainability’ into national healthy eating guidelines [PDF]
