Micronutrient Forum’s Post

🌍 Thrilled to share insights from "A call to action for transformation towards nutritious food systems" published in Nature Food! 🌾 As a member of the Nutritious Food Systems Consortium, it's exciting to see this work published, outlining a transformative approach to global food systems. This pivotal research, supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.K. Aid, charts a path toward sustainable, equitable, and nutritious food systems. It represents a strong consensus, with 50 experts having signed on to the paper. I truly hope that funders, implementers, and researchers integrate this work into their RFP’s and proposals as they attempt to prioritize projects in the field of nutritious food systems.   Key action points include: Adopting a transformational approach, emphasizing systems change, co-creation, and equal partnerships among all stakeholders including governments, NGOs, and the private sector. Putting in place the building blocks, especially data-driven and evidence-based policies, supported by cutting-edge technology and local innovations. Targeting strategic priorities, focusing on improving data systems, enhancing market infrastructure, ensuring food safety, reducing food loss, and increasing nutrient intake across diverse populations. https://lnkd.in/enHAJhtP #Nutrition #FoodSystems #SustainableDevelopment #NatureFood

“The right to food will not in itself fill stomachs or diversify diets, but it frames our collective aspirations for a just and equitable world.” - Dr. Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General. 🥕 🥝 This #WorldFoodDay, October 16, is a time to reflect on key issues in global food systems: How can we achieve diverse, nutritious diets for all? What role do sustainable agri-food systems play in feeding the world? How can collective action drive fairness and equity in our food systems? Dive deeper into this conversation by reading our latest op-ed, where we explore the steps we can all take toward a healthier, more sustainable future: https://lnkd.in/e8V6YJpK

Significant improvements in data quality and availability are essential for monitoring food systems, enabling evidence-based policies, and fostering accountability for both human and planetary health. In 2021, Marshall et al. highlighted critical gaps that hinder food systems research and introduced the Food Systems Dashboard, a visualization tool aimed at enhancing data accessibility and informing policy decisions. https://lnkd.in/dg4r_DJW The diagram from our report, "Exploring the Future of Vegetable Oils" (https://lnkd.in/eEmraBx3), illustrates the complexity of vegetable oil value chains, emphasizing how distant consumers often are from the origins of their food products. Consumers have the right to know how and where their food is produced. Therefore, we must invest in improving traceability and accountability within food systems to ensure that consumer choices are well-informed, ultimately leading to effective behaviour change. Erik Meijaard

Optimal DX Hot Topics: Food Choices Affect Our Bodies & Environment https://hubs.ly/Q0308ttH0

I believe we need art to help us understand science. The work of George Steinmetz illustrating this short piece on 🌍 global food trade 🫒 is a wonderful example (taken from his latest book 'Feed the planet' https://lnkd.in/e8ubWtgK)

Why Food Science and Technology Matters. As a final year student of Food Science and Technology, I've come to realize the significant impact our field has on public health and sustainability. Food science and technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety, quality, and availability of food for millions of people around the world. Here are just a few reasons why food science and technology matters: - Food Safety: Food scientists and technologists work tirelessly to develop innovative solutions to prevent food borne illnesses, ensuring that the food we eat is safe and healthy. - Sustainable Food Systems: Our field is dedicated to finding sustainable ways to produce, process, and distribute food, reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact. - Nutrition and Public Health: Food science and technology helps address global nutrition challenges, developing food products that are nutritious, accessible, and affordable for all. - Food Security: By improving crop yields, developing resilient food systems, and reducing food waste, food science and technology contributes to global food security. #FoodScienceAndTechnology #FoodSecurity #Sustainability #Innovation #FoodSafety #Futureoffood #Nutrition

While the food system doesn’t fundamentally change with the calendar year, there is undeniably a dynamic shift unfolding within the broader food ecosystem. We’re seeing trends that might seem contradictory at first glance. For instance, there’s a growing desire to move away from ultra-processed foods in favor of more natural options, even as advancements in biotechnology are fueling the creation of innovative food alternatives. Similarly, while there is a push for sourcing ingredients locally, there’s also an ongoing need to ensure food access in underserved regions around the world. What remains clear is that some trends are gaining momentum more quickly in developed countries, while others are emerging in regions with limited resources. One key fact remains: food must be affordable for these trends to continue evolving on a global scale. Personally, I’m excited by the potential to reduce food waste, to revive natural ingredients and traditional methods of eating and cooking, and the growing exploration of alternative proteins—innovations that could provide our planet with much-needed relief. Are you as excited about this Food evolution as I am ?

🌍 Food Science for a Better Future 🌱 The future of our world is closely tied to the food we produce, consume, and innovate. As food scientists, we are not just solving today’s challenges but paving the way for sustainable and nutritious solutions for generations to come. From addressing malnutrition and foodborne diseases to ensuring food security for a growing population, our mission is clear: innovate, improve, and inspire. Every new idea—be it a nutrient-packed beverage or a sustainable processing technique—can transform lives. The question is: how can we each contribute to this revolution? Let’s keep learning, innovating, and collaborating to build a healthier, more sustainable future through food science. #FoodScience #Innovation #Sustainability #FutureOfFood

Current global food production practices have been reported to be associated with the production of high levels of greenhouse gases. Switching to sustainable, alternative dietary protein is one practice that could reduce the impact of food production on the climate but are there any limitations to these alternatives? This e-seminar - produced as part of the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Foods Standards and Food Safety Analysis - provided an introduction to alternative proteins and discusses scope, limitations and health and safety concerns.- https://okt.to/BJQ5y2 With this evidence, do you think alternative proteins can reduce the impact on the climate? Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Food Standards Scotland Food Standards Scotland #GovernmentChemist Department for Science, Innovation and Technology #alternativeproteins #netzero

"The age of biology is here." In an interview today with Danish publication Berlingske, our colleague Jacob Paulsen, EVP of Food & Beverage Biosolutions, shares his perspective on the future of food:  "The demand for biosolutions is only increasing. Addressing global sustainability and health, we can help transform the way we produce food, including preventing and reducing food waste. It's not about producing entirely new food products, more so that the food that consumers know and love can be improved and produced more sustainably," he says.  According to the article, more than 2 billion people are consuming food and beverage products that have been made with enzymes, cultures or microbes from Novonesis. Jacob believes biosolutions can provide answers to some of the most pressing challenges: "In the world, we may have upwards of one billion people starving. Within the next 25 years, we need to feed an additional two billion people. And the climate footprint from food production is already unsustainable today. Everyone should agree that we need to do something about this - consumers, food producers and policymakers alike." Read the article here (in Danish): https://lnkd.in/dhS49GN5 #biosolutions #foodandbeverage #stopfoodwaste #novonesis Photo: Mathias Svold / Berlingske