Operationalising the EAT– Lancet Commissions' targets to achieve healthy and sustainable diets
Authors: Paul C Coleman, Luke Murphy, Marcus Nyman, Oyinlola Oyebode
Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health (2021)

In 1948, the UN declared adequate access to food, alongside suitable housing and medical care, to be a basic human right.1UNUniversal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations, Paris1948Google Scholar However, around 1 billion people still have insufficient access to food, while many more consume low quality diets that contribute towards the development of dietary-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.2Willett W Rockström J Loken B et al.Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems.Lancet. 2019; 393: 447-492Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2497) Google Scholar In parallel to the human health crisis, the global food system is a primary driver of biodiversity loss3Chatham HouseFood system impacts on biodiversity loss.https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/2021-02-03-food-system-biodiversity-loss-benton-et-al_0.pdfDate: 2021Date accessed: June 8, 2021Google Scholar and leading cause of the climate and nature crises, with a third of greenhouse gas emissions derived from food production.4Crippa M Solazzo E Guizzardi F Monforti-Ferrario F Tubiello FN Leip A Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions.Nat Food. 2021; 2: 198-209Crossref Scopus (162) Google Scholar Although the EAT–Lancet Commission has outlined global targets on achieving healthy diets produced in sustainable ways,2Willett W Rockström J Loken B et al.Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems.Lancet. 2019; 393: 447-492Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2497) Google Scholar there is no consensus on how governments can operationalise these targets while ensuring social equity, fair politics, and viable economies for those producing and consuming food.5Béné C Fanzo J Haddad L et al.Five priorities to operationalize the EAT–Lancet Commission report.Nat Food. 2020; 1: 457-459Crossref Scopus (16) Google Scholar In light of this operational gap, in April, 2021, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) published a report entitled Building a Food System that works for Everyone,6Coleman P Nyman M Murphy L Oyebode O Building a food system that works for everyone.https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/building-a-food-system-that-works-for-everyoneDate: April, 2021Date accessed: June 8, 2021Google Scholar that outlined areas of immediate action for a healthy and sustainable food system for the UK (figure). The IPPR report, which adopts a whole food systems approach,7Bhunnoo R The need for a food-systems approach to policy making.Lancet. 2019; 393: 1097-1098Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar was informed by an extensive evidence review and a series of expert interviews and forms part of the work of a cross-party commission of politicians, experts, academics, business people, and trade unionists. The IPPR report has five aims. First, the right to food must be enshrined in law, with independent, statutory bodies established with the function of monitoring, advising, and holding governments to account on their delivery of sustainable food systems policy. Second, local regions should be supported in developing regional food councils, bringing together stakeholders from diverse food-related sectors to respond to emerging food issues. The development of regional food councils should be informed by global examples that have been effective in improving food systems policy and practice.8Blay-Palmer A The Canadian pioneer: the genesis of urban food policy in Toronto.Int Plann Stud. 2009; 14: 401-416Crossref Scopus (63) Google Scholar Third, nationally agreed targets should be introduced to increase the uptake of sustainably and ethically produced meat and intake of plant-based options, by adopting the Eating Better target of a 50% reduction in meat and dairy consumption by 2030.9Eating BetterSourcing Better: a pathway to less and better meat and dairy.https://www.eating-better.org/uploads/Documents/Sourcing_Better_Framework.pdfDate: 2021Date accessed: June 8, 2021Google Scholar An emphasis should be placed on improving the quality of food in public institutions, because this is where local and national government have greatest influence. Fourth, all members of society must have the financial means to access a regular source of healthy food. Achieving this goal will involve raising baseline social security payments, introducing specific targets to end household food insecurity, and providing all children with access to free school meals. An emphasis must be placed on eliminating childhood hunger given the lasting effects of poor nutrition on child health.10Clark H Coll-Seck AM Banerjee A et al.A future for the world's children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission.Lancet. 2020; 395: 605-658Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (261) Google Scholar Fifth, the establishment of fair and sustainable food supply chains must be supported by fast-tracking the implementation of environmentally friendly codes of compliance that support food companies and supermarkets in reporting the environmental impact of their supply chains. Recognising the global nature of the food system, the importing of food linked to deforestation should be eliminated by 2030. It is through applying these recommendations, which consider the social, economic, and environmental components of the food system (appendix), that initial steps can be taken towards achieving a vibrant, healthy, and equitable food system for all. Although the specific focus of the IPPR report was the UK food system, these recommendations are applicable to countries globally. All authors are authors of the Institute for Public Policy Research report titled Building a Food System that works for Everyone. Download .pdf (.22 MB) Help with pdf files Supplementary appendix