Literature Review on food system and healthy diets
Conceptual Basis
Food systems are complex and comprise of multiple, interacting elements, drivers and influencers (HLPE, 2017)1. Conceptual frameworks which depict food systems in their totality can be a useful way of reducing complexity and analysing how the various components of the system interact to influence healthy diets (Raza et al., 2020)2. Such frameworks can also aid the development of assessment tools and methodologies which provide an analysis of: how food systems are structured in a given context, key stakeholders in the system, critical influencers that support the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods, and drivers which present challenging and opportunities for the functioning and resilience of food systems, among others.
For the reasons mentioned above, FSAHD Tool for urban areas is embedded in the HLPE conceptual framework of nutrition and food systems. There are several reasons for selecting the HLPE framework. First, the framework is consensus-based and has been used widely by United Nations’ Agencies, international governance platforms, such as the World Committee for Food Security (CFS), and other development organizations. Second, the framework has been adapted by FAO for its own programming.
The upcoming FAO Strategy for Nutrition also adapts the HLPE framework to provide broader guidance to the organization on the vision and approach to reaching healthy diets for all and at all times. Third, the framework provides a food systems approach to understanding issues related to access, availability, affordability and stability of healthy diets, and provide conceptual linkages between food systems and nutrition outcomes.
The HLPE framework, to begin with, identified drivers that can play role within and outside the system. These include drivers related to biophysical and environmental drivers, innovation, technology and infrastructure drivers, political and economic drivers, socio-cultural drivers, and demographic drivers. It also identifies three main elements of the system which shape the production, processing, marketing and consumption of healthy diets. These include food supply chains, food environments and consumer behaviour. In addition, the HLPE framework identifies food systems levers (such as, regulation, production incentives, pricing strategies and community activation) and policies to improve the role that food environments can play in enhancing the diets and nutritional status of populations.
FSAHD Tool for urban areas also incorporates literature that has been published since the HLPE report to complement its conceptual basis. Recent frameworks, have built on the HLPE framework to provide more nuance into the complexity of food systems. In particular, Raza et al. (2020) provide a better differentiation of food environments, by separating them into personal and external; deeper understanding of caregiver and adolescent influence in shaping healthy diets; and guidance on how food systems can be envisioned specific to nutritionally vulnerable groups, such as children and adolescents.
1HLPE (2017). Nutrition and food systems. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and
Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Rome, Italy: CFS.
2Raza, et al., 2020. Conceptual framework of food systems for children and adolescents. Global Food Security. Volume 27, December 2020. 100436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100436.