Sustainable Healthy Diets: Guiding Principles

These guiding principles are the result of an Expert Consultation jointly led by FAO and WHO in July 2019. They take a holistic approach to diets, and consider international nutrition recommendations, the environmental cost of food production and consumption, as well as adaptability to local social, cultural and economic contexts. The term “Sustainable Healthy Diets” was agreed upon during the Consultation to encompass the two dimensions – sustainability and healthiness of diets. Sustainable Healthy Diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing, have low environmental impact, are accessible, affordable, and culturally acceptable. They aim at people’s wellbeing at all life stages for present and future generations. They contribute to preventing all forms of malnutrition and reducing the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases, while also supporting biodiversity. These guiding principles emphasize the role of food consumption and diets in contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals at country level, including Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action). They are translated into clear and non-technical messaging to be used by governments and other actors in policy-making and communications.