Shaping food environments to support sustainable healthy diets in low and middle-income countries

Abstract

The global ambitions to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture demand a complex transition of the current food environments for enabling sustainable healthy diets. The food environments in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) have been experiencing rapid and dynamic transitions across the globe, necessitating a system-level thinking and systemic approach to understand opportunities for improvement. There is a need for valid, reliable measures of food and nutrition environments for reorienting thinking and data collection toward determinants of food demand, especially the food environment components, which are critical to understand the transforming food systems. Food environment transformations are urgently required to provide consumers with more affordable and nutritious diets capable of meeting social and environmental challenges. In the present perspective, we aim to provide insights on prioritizing research on understanding and designing evidence based inclusive food environments which is crucial for promoting long-term food system innovations that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable and, above all, contribute to sustainable healthy diets.

The association between food environment, diet quality and malnutrition in low‐ and middle‐income adult populations across the rural—Urban gradient in Vietnam

“…Factors such as affordability (purchasing power), convenience (relative time and effort of preparing, cooking and consuming food product) and desirability (preferences, acceptability, tastes, desires, culture) play crucial roles in shaping individuals' decisions regarding which food outlets to choose. 26,27 Recognising the complexity of these interactions can provide valuable insights into understanding how individuals navigate their food environments and can help inform interventions that promote healthier food choices and improved diet quality.…”

“…Complex factors such as seasonal cycles, economic shocks, social biases and infrastructure disparities shape industrialising countries' food environments. 26 Diverse food sources, small-scale businesses and the informal sector add complexity. 26,27 In rural areas of Vietnam, the high prevalence of child undernutrition is significantly influenced by factors such as limited retail diversity and households relying on their own production.…”

“…26 Diverse food sources, small-scale businesses and the informal sector add complexity. 26,27 In rural areas of Vietnam, the high prevalence of child undernutrition is significantly influenced by factors such as limited retail diversity and households relying on their own production. 28 In a study conducted among urban households in Vietnam, modern market food expenditure was positively associated with consumption of foods rich in heme iron and protein, although there was no significant association with dietary diversity or diet quality.…”

Untitled

“…The need to provide timely and accurate information on climate change and climate risk management in connection with the use of innovative tools and methodological procedures is also supported in the study of H. Valin (2019). To effectively use these scientific procedures, it is necessary, according to S. Kumar et al (2023) to include in climate concepts information related to different periods for managing the strategy of optimal sustainable development. In this context, J. Streimikis and T. Baležentis (2020) in their study highlight the strong partnerships between international, and national stakeholders and agricultural and research institutions, as well as community organizations that play a role in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).…”