Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of Australia 40th Annual Scientific Meeting, Melbourne, Australia Plenary 1: Nutrition, health and the environment: A global perspective ACHIEVING ETHICAL AND ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DIETS THROUGH THE PLANETARY HEALTH PARADIGM R. Alders. Faculty of Veterinary Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins / Marie Bashir Institute Healthy Food Systems: Nutrition*Diversity*Safety, Australia E-mail address: robyn.alders@sydney.edu.au Background/Aims: Delivering sufficient, safe, ethical and nutritious food in a sustainable manner to meet the requirements of future generations is one of the world’s greatest challenges. Over the past 10,000 years, the growing human and human-associated animal population has been sus- tained through the domestication of plant and animal species for use as food sources and the industrialisation of agricultural systems, without taking natural capital into account. In addition, despite increases in agri- cultural production over the past two decades, malnutrition has not diminished significantly, with undernutrition remaining a significant problem in many developing countries and over-nutrition becoming a major issue globally. Consequently, the past focus on increasing the quantity of food production is giving way to a focus on producing quality food that is nutrient rich, bioavailable, affordable and that can sustainably meet the nutritional needs of individuals at every stage of life. We must focus on fixing our broken food systems in support of long-term food se- curity and the health of people and the planet. Key challenges and potential solutions: Increasing the sustainable production of nutritious and safe food The human population is set to reach 9 billion by 2050 and 11 billion by 2100. This increase will be accompanied by increasing urbanisation, an increasing middle class and aging population together with a smaller rural labour force and more feedstocks for a potentially huge bioenergy market. Challenges and possible solutions to increasing the sustainable production of nutritious and safe food include: (i) Providing diets tailored to individuals according to the life stages and cuisines of sub-populations - future food production will need to specifically target the nutritional requirements of individuals ac- cording to their age, gender, health and reproductive status while also employing efficient technologies. Urban food production will need to complement that produced by farmers in agricultural areas. (ii) Producing nutritionally rich foods e accessing sufficient calories is important, but calories alone are not enough to optimize epigenetic programming; the proper balance of micronutrients is also essential for both short- and long-term health. This has become clear, as obesity and related health concerns are becoming significant issues in individuals and communities adopting western diets. Therefore, instead of focussing solely on volume or weight, it is important for food producers to increasingly take the naturally nutrient-rich (NNR) score into account to produce whole foods that provide the highest nutrient-to-kilojoule ratio. Where animal-source food (ASF) is con- cerned, it should ideally mimic the naturally lean wild meat consumed by humans over thousands of years. A substantial increase in the amount of non-essential fats and a loss of essential fats derived from contemporary animal husbandry, including poultry meat has been reported and, if widespread, needs to be reversed. Future food production programs will need to: explicitly incorporate nutrition objectives and indicators; collaborate and coordinate with other sectors (health, environment, social protection, labour, water, sani- tation, education and energy); and maintain or improve the natural resource base (water, soil, air, climate, biodiversity). (iii) Promoting dietary diversity e Neglected crops may contribute to improved food security and coping with weather variability. With respect to ASF, dietary diversity can be promoted through the con- sumption of all edible parts of the carcass, including offal (e.g. liver which provides an excellent source of bioavailable micronutrients such as haem iron). (iv) Empowering women - ensuring access to targeted information. Improving women and children’s access to a balanced diet, especially during the crucial period from conception until children reach 2 years of age will reduce stunting and, therefore, improve life-long health and productivity. Decreasing food wastage The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that each year, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted. This food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security and also to mitigate environmental impacts. Challenges and possible solutions associated with mitigating food wastage include: (i) Decreasing post-harvest losses e improving access to and reliability of cold storage facilities will reduce losses of fresh foods globally. Use all edible, safe parts of a plant or a carcass. (ii) Increasing the purchase of appropriate quantities of nutritious food e increasing awareness of the importance of purchasing less but more nutritious food will significantly reduce food wastage. (iii) Increasing food safety e disease emergence has paralleled the intensification of livestock production with diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy and highly pathogenic avian influenza, leading to the disposal of huge numbers of carcasses. (iv) Decreasing nutrient loss - nutrients are essential to life and yet modern food production and processing systems are causing huge nutrient losses. Annual nutrient losses through soil erosion are thought to exceed all the nutrients applied as fertilizer across the globe. Producing fertiliser from heat-treated urban human waste has the potential to contribute to improved nutrient cycling. (v) Integrating supply chain and consumer technologies - the possibility of the “wired home” and the “internet of things” means a product can potentially be ordered, tracked and monitored through its entire lifespan, from production to plate. Conclusions: Adequately and sustainably nourishing 9 billion people by 2050 will involve direct action from all levels of production from the soil to the plate. A Planetary Health approach to the production of sustainable, nutritious and safe food delivered with minimal waste has the potential to promote human, animal and environmental health. As governments worldwide grapple with unsustainable health budgets, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and value chains, bolstered by more effective policy frame- works, can help to stop malnutrition and ensure that the food produced delivers maximum benefits. It is essential that the agriculture, health, Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism journal homepage: http://www.jnimonline.com/ Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism 8 (2017) 60e121