Sustainable Diets: Food for
Healthy People and a Healthy Planet
WORKSHOP SUMMARY
Leslie Pray, Rapporteur
Food Forum
Food and Nutrition Board
Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine
Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The workshop that is the subject of this workshop summary was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
This activity was supported by Contract Nos. HHSP233201200333P (Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health), HHSN26300002 (National Institutes of Health), and 59-1235-2-114, CNPP-IOM-FY2012-01, FS-IOM-FY2012-01, and AG-3A94-P-12-0088 (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and with the National Academy of Sciences. Additional support came from Abbott Laboratories, Cargill, Inc., ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Inc., Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods, Mars, Inc., McDonald’s, Mead Johnson and Company, Monsanto Company, Nestlé Nutrition, PepsiCo, and The Coca-Cola Company. The views presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the activity.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-29667-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-29667-6
Additional copies of this workshop summary are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
For more information about the Institute of Medicine, visit the IOM home page at: www.iom.edu.
Copyright 2014 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
The serpent has been a symbol of long life, healing, and knowledge among almost all cultures and religions since the beginning of recorded history. The serpent adopted as a logotype by the Institute of Medicine is a relief carving from ancient Greece, now held by the Staatliche Museen in Berlin.
Cover credit: Design by Casey Weeks.
Suggested citation: IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2014. Sustainable diets: Food for healthy people and a healthy planet: Workshop summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
PLANNING COMMITTEE ON A WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE DIETS: FOOD FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE AND A HEALTHY PLANET1
ERIK D. OLSON (Chair), Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC
KATHERINE L. CLANCY, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
RICHARD A. FENSKE, University of Washington, Seattle
ROBERT C. POST, FoodMinds, LLC, Washington, DC
PAMELA STARKE-REED, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
ANNE M. SWEENEY, Texas A&M University, College Station
G. DAVID TILMAN, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
PARKE E. WILDE, Tufts University, Boston, MA
DEREK YACH, The Vitality Group, New York City, NY
IOM Staff
HEATHER COOK, Co–Study Director
LESLIE J. SIM, Co–Study Director
ANDRÉS GAVIRIA, Research Associate
GERALDINE KENNEDO, Administrative Assistant
_________________
1 Institute of Medicine planning committees are solely responsible for organizing the workshop, identifying topics, and choosing speakers. The responsibility for the published workshop summary rests with the workshop rapporteur and the institution.
FOOD FORUM1
FRANCIS F. BUSTA (Chair), University of Minnesota, St. Paul
NELSON ALMEIDA, Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, MI
MARK ANDON, ConAgra Foods, Omaha, NE
ARTI ARORA, The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, GA
PAUL M. COATES, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
DAVID B. COCKRAM, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH
RICHARD F. D’ALOISIO, Mondelēz International, East Hanover, NJ
ERIC A. DECKER, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
CAROLINE SMITH DEWAAL, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC
SAMUEL GODEFROY, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON
DAVID GOLDMAN, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC
CINDY GOODY, McDonald’s USA, LLC, Oak Brook, IL
DANIELLE GREENBERG, PepsiCo, Purchase, NY
SONYA GRIER, American University, Washington, DC
BRENDA HALBROOK, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA
JACKIE HAVEN, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA
JERRY HJELLE, Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO
KATE J. HOUSTON, Cargill, Inc., Washington, DC
VAN S. HUBBARD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
LEE-ANN JAYKUS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
GORDON L. JENSEN, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
RENÉE JOHNSON, Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC
WENDY JOHNSON-ASKEW, Nestlé Nutrition, Florham Park, NJ
MICHAEL M. LANDA, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD
JOHN A. MILNER, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD
S. SUZANNE NIELSEN, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
ERIK D. OLSON, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC
RICHARD OLSON, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD
STEVEN W. RIZK, Mars, Inc., Hackettstown, NJ
SARAH ROLLER, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Washington, DC
SHARON ROSS, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
SYLVIA ROWE, SR Strategy, LLC, Washington, DC
KARI HECKER RYAN, Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL
PRISCILLA SAMUEL, Tate & Lyle, Hoffman Estates, IL
MAHA TAHIRI, General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
_________________
1 Institute of Medicine forums and roundtables do not issue, review, or approve individual documents. The responsibility for the published workshop summary rests with the workshop rapporteur and the institution.
ROUNDTABLE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES, RESEARCH, AND MEDICINE1
FRANK LOY (Chair), Washington, DC
LYNN R. GOLDMAN (Vice Chair), George Washington University, Washington, DC
HENRY A. ANDERSON, Wisonsin Division of Public Health, Madison
JOHN M. BALBUS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
JAMES K. BARTRAM, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
LINDA S. BIRNBAUM, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC
LUZ CLAUDIO, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
DENNIS J. DELVIN, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Irving, TX
RICHARD A. FENSKE, University of Washington, Seattle
ALISTAIR FRASER, Royal Dutch Shell, The Hague, Netherlands
LUIZ A. GALVÃO, Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC
BERNARD D. GOLDSTEIN, University of Pittsburgh, PA
RICHARD J. JACKSON, University of California, Los Angeles
SUZETTE M. KIMBALL, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA
JAY LEMERY, University of Colorado, Denver
ANDREW MAGUIRE, Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, DC
LINDA A. McCAULEY, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
AL McGARTLAND, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
DAVID M. MICHAELS, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Washington, DC
CANICE NOLAN, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
MARTIN A. PHILBERT, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
CHRISTOPHER J. PORTIER, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
PAUL SANDIFER, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC
JOHN D. SPENGLER, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
LOUIS W. SULLIVAN, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
ANNE M. SWEENEY, Texas A&M University, College Station
G. DAVID TILMAN, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
PATRICIA VERDUIN, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Piscataway, NJ
_________________
1 Institute of Medicine forums and roundtables do not issue, review, or approve individual documents. The responsibility for the published workshop summary rests with the workshop rapporteur and the institution.
NSEDU OBOT WITHERSPOON, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Washington, DC
HAROLD ZENICK, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
Roundtable Staff
CHRISTINE COUSSENS, Roundtable Director (until August 2013)
ERIN RUSCH, Associate Program Officer
ANDRÉS GAVIRIA, Research Associate (until August 2013)
HOPE HARE, Administrative Assistant
ROSE MARIE MARTINEZ, Director, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Reviewers
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published workshop summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the workshop summary meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this workshop summary:
Mark Bomford, Yale University
Richard A. Fenske, University of Washington
Jillian Fry, Johns Hopkins University
Michael W. Hamm, Michigan State University
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the workshop summary before its release. The review of this workshop summary was overseen by Georges C. Benjamin, American Public Health Association. Appointed by the Institute of Medicine, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this workshop summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this workshop summary rests entirely with the rapporteur and the institution.
Contents
2 DEFINING RELATIONSHIPS: SYNERGIES AND TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Priority Agriculture–Environmental–Nutrition Linkages for Sustainable Diets
Fish, Fisheries, and Food Security
Environmental Impact of Meat: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Panel Discussion with the Audience
3 QUANTIFYING SYNERGIES AND TRADE-OFFS: MOVING FORWARD FROM CONCEPTUAL LINKS TO EMPIRICAL DATA
Quantifying Environmental Impacts of Diets
Land Use Effects of Various Diet Patterns
Life-Cycle Assessment of Dietary Patterns
Projected Food Prices: The Impact of Environmental Constraints
The Effect of Natural Resource Scarcity on Commodity Sourcing
Can Economic Incentives Drive Environmental Sustainability and Healthier Diets?
Panel Discussion with the Audience
5 OPTIONS AND APPROACHES TO ENABLE SUSTAINABLE FOOD CHOICES
Lessons from Across the Atlantic: Policy Faultiness and Policy Possibilities on Sustainable Diets
Options and Approaches to Enable Sustainable Food Choices: Research Priorities
Panel Discussion with the Audience
Behavioral Economics: Implications for the Food Environment and Choices