Why the world needs sustainable diets, and research about them

Diet plays a critical role not only in food and nutrition security, but also influencing the path of agricultural development. With the Convention on Biological Diversity well underway and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) meeting progressing this week, the relevance of agrobiodiversity remains an important topic of discussion with regards to diet and nutrition. Dr Bruce Cogill, Programme Leader, Nutrition and Marketing of Diversity at Bioversity International provides some insight and shares a recent publication that ties together issues related to environmental health, food security, and nutrition, exploring the concept of a 'Sustainable Diet'.

In August, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bioversity International released the book, Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity. The timely release of the book has generated a lot of interest in the concept of sustainable diets as countries and individual consumers grapple with the trade-offs of meeting nutritional needs while doing so in a cost effective and environmentally sustainable manner.

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