Improving Nutrition through Food Quality, Access, Affordability, and Waste Reduction

In both the developing and developed world, the problem of undernutrition continues, yet overweight and obesity have become serious health threats. The answer to solving undernutrition is not increasing food production, but rather focusing on the quality of food and ensuring access to healthy food for all people. This will require collaborations across many disciplines, rigorous research to measure the impact of policies and programs, and leadership from national, regional, and local leaders. Partnerships among universities, public health officials, and policy makers are critical for success.

This policy position paper was written by Dr. Mindy S. Kurzer, Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, and Director, Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.   It is part of the ISGP conference Equitable, Sustainable and Healthy Food Environments, convened in partnership with Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in May 2016.