New Glopan foresight report demands action on nutrition to support high quality diets

On 23 September 2016, the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (GLOPAN) published its new report, Food systems and diets: Facing the challenges of the 21st century. This evidence-based report is designed to help policymakers make their food systems more supportive of high quality diets. Using modelling and trend analysis, the report generates a new understanding of diets and food systems, and how they could change by 2030.

Download the Full Report English // Download Executive Summary English, Français, Português, Español

Visit the GLOPAN website

Download Executive Summary English, Français, Português, Español

The analysis shows that if current trends continue, by 2030 nearly half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese, up from one third today. The poorest countries are not immune to these trends. It also shows how these trends have enormous economic impacts at the macro and micro levels, as well major consequences for mortality and morbidity. Drawing on over 250 data sources and peer-reviewed articles, the report lists a series of recommendations for policymakers in low and middle income countries through a ‘Call to Action’.

This report identifies decisions that policymakers need to take in the coming decade, particularly for women and children, to invest in effective policies to reduce all forms of malnutrition, repositioning food systems from feeding people to nourishing people. The actions go beyond agriculture to encompass trade, the environment and health, harnessing the power of the private sector and empowering consumers to demand better diets. Enhancing the ability of food systems to deliver high quality diets is a choice that is well within the grasp of policymakers.  It is a choice that will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. It is a choice that will reap benefits for decades to come, for all people, in all countries.

Diets are the main cause of illness, they are not going to get better any time soon, and the consequences of inaction are staggering.”

Lawrence Haddad, Chair of the Foresight panel and newly appointed Executive Director of GAIN in his blog “How do we transform food systems from villains to heroes?”

The report is the result of the Foresight project, a group of experts convened by GLOPAN and chaired by Dr Lawrence Haddad, to provide evidence on future trends in agriculture and diets, and to estimate costs/benefits of new agriculture and food policies.

Regional launches

• 6 October – In partnership with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) Taj Mahal Hotel – New Delhi, India
• 9-14 October – The Foresight report will be shared with participants at the seventh African Nutrition Epidemiology Conference (ANEC VII) – Marrakesh, Morocco
• 12-14 October – Side event at the World Food Prize with prof. Lawrence Haddad, Chair of the Foresight Lead Expert Group – Des Moines, Iowa, USA
• 18 October – Side event at CFS 43 in Partnership with Harvest Plus, IFPR and the FAO – Rome, Italy
• 28 October – African launch in occasion of the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security, with Panel Co-Chair H.E. John Kufuor, former president of Ghana – Accra, Ghana
• 2 November – UK launch in partnership with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture & Food for Development – House of Commons, London, UK
• 15 November – Panel discussion and presentation of the Foresight Report at the Integrated Nutrition Conference – Nairobi, Kenya

Join the conversation on Twitter: @Glo_PAN

For further information, contact Foresight Project Manager Shodona Kettle: shodona.kettle@glopan.org