The UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) is just one week away, to be held on September 23.  Transforming food systems to serve for planetary and human health is the most important agenda of the UNFSS.  Among the most critically needed actions to achieve the food systems transformation is a shift to what is called ‘planetary health diet’.  

Planetary health diet is a key concept linking environmental sustainability (climate change, biodiversity loss) and human health in today’s food systems. An article, titled ‘How to realize the planetary health diet’, is just out in the 2021 September edition of ‘Global Net’, a Special Issue on the UNFSS, featuring topics on the food systems transformation.    

The article overviews how the challenges surrounding ‘food’ have evolved over years, in which the concept of ‘planetary health diet’ is contextualized.  It also revisits food and nutrition security challenges in today’s food systems which have accentuated imbalances between the affluent and the vulnerable. Then the author proposes actions needed to build not only sustainable but also equitable food systems. The articles of the Special Issue will help readers to understand global agendas and debates over food system transformations. 

References

Iiyama Miyuki. 2021. "How to realize the planetary health diet" (in Japanese) https://www.gef.or.jp/globalnet202109/globalnet202109-3/

Global Net (Sep 2021 Issue) https://www.gef.or.jp/globalnet/globalnet202109/

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Director, Information Program)