Bioversity International and FAO were pleased to host the International Scientific Symposium 'Biodiversity and Sustainable Diets: United Against Hunger' on 3-5 November 2010 in Rome.

This three-day event focused on the global challenge of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, considering their impact on poverty and health. The urgent need to re-examine food systems and diets will also be considered.

Today around one billion people suffer from hunger and another two million suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Diets that are low in variety but high in energy contribute to the problems of obesity and chronic diseases which are also starting to affect people in developing countries.

One of the major outcomes of the symposium was an agreed understanding about what constitutes a 'sustainable diet' and the formulation of recommendations for promoting and applying such a concept in different agro-ecological zones, particularly in ways to benefit the rural poor.

The final report from the event is now available:
 Biodiversity and sustainable diets - Symposium Final Report (248 KB)

Partners

This Symposium was organized by Bioversity International and FAO Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division in collaboration with CBD, IFAD, IUNS, INFOODS.