Grantham Scholar Kristin Bash co-authors a paper on sustainable food systems and public health.
The paper discusses important links between food systems and both population and environmental health. It also makes recommendations for public health action to support healthy and sustainable food systems.
Our food system – including the way food is produced, processed, and distributed – contributes to health at the population and personal level. However, the demands of the current system create a significant impact on local, global and planetary environments. These include our climate, our soil, water and air quality, and levels of antimicrobial resistance. In turn, these impacts have a negative impact on population health.
Co-branded with the Soil Association, this paper outlines key areas where public health and the wider food system overlap in terms of sustainability. It provides a list of 10 recommended actions for public health professionals to consider, at local and national levels.
One recommendation is to promote the ‘less and better’ approach to meat consumption within the population. Another is to advocate for British agriculture policy that accounts for human health.
If you want to read the full paper then look here
As the discussion paper points out, food systems and soil health are inextricably linked. We have a long history of diverse research into soil. One highlight is a briefing paper presented at the famous COP21 – where the Paris Agreement was signed. You can find out more here: Soil research at the Grantham Centre.
Kristin paused her PhD with us to go back into public health during the pandemic. You can find out more in our 2020-21 Annual Review: Our People and the Pandemic.