Demand-Side Food Policies for Public and Planetary Health

Elisabeth H.M. Temme, Reina E. Vellinga, Henri de Ruiter, Susanna Kugelberg, Mirjam van de Kamp, Anna Milford, Roberta Alessandrini, Fabio Bartolini, Alberto Sanz-Cobena and Adrian Leip
Additional contact information
Elisabeth H.M. Temme: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Reina E. Vellinga: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Henri de Ruiter: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Susanna Kugelberg: Public Health Consultant, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Mirjam van de Kamp: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Anna Milford: Division of Food Production and Society, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), 115 NO-1431 Ås Bergen, Norway
Roberta Alessandrini: Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
Fabio Bartolini: Department of Food Agriculture and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Alberto Sanz-Cobena: Research Center for the Management of Environmental and Agricultural Risks (CEIGRAM), ETSIAAB, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
Adrian Leip: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra (VA), Italy

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: Background: The current food system has major consequences for the environment and for human health. Alignment of the food policy areas of mitigating climate change and public health will ensure coherent and effective policy interventions for sustaining human health and the environment. This paper explores literature on demand-side policies that aim to reduce consumption of animal-based foods, increase plant-based foods, and reduce overconsumption. Methods: We searched for publications, published between January 2000 and December 2019, considering the above policy domains. Articles were distinguished for type of policy instrument, for topic via keywords and examples were given. Results: The majority of demand-side policies focus on preventing overweight and obesity, using all types of policy instruments including more forceful market-based policies. Hardly any examples of public policies explicitly aiming to lower animal-based foods consumption were found. Policies combining health and sustainability objectives are few and mainly of the information type. Discussion: Moving towards environmentally sustainable and healthy diets is challenging as the implemented demand-side policies focus largely on human health, and not yet on environmental outcomes, or on win-wins. Policies targeting foods from the health perspective can contribute to lower environmental impacts, by indicating suitable animal-based food replacers, and aiming at avoiding overconsumption of energy dense-nutrient poor foods. Preferred policies include a variety of instruments, including strong measures. Conclusions: Working solutions are available to ensure coherent and effective demand side food policies aligning public health and environmental aims. Implementation of aligned and effective policy packages is urgent and needed.

Keywords: sustainable; healthy; diet; food systems; policy instrument; review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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