6 out of 10 risk factors to the global burden of disease are diet related. 1 in 3 people worldwide are malnourished. While 800 million people have chronic hunger and two billion people suffer from vitamin or mineral deficiencies, 2 billion people are overweight or obese. Nutrition is involved with culture, infrastructure, and economic status and, as such, it is both a prerequisite for and a result of our lifestyle. The world is changing and so are actual diets and food-related behaviors – for better or worse.
We have come a long way from being hunters and gatherers to the formation of today’s complex societies driving agriculture, local food manufacturing, and a globally acting food industry. With the exponential growth of an aging world population and society’s desire to fight malnutrition and climate change, new demands arise for the sourcing and distribution of food.
Herbert Smorenburg, Senior Manager of the Dutch office of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, will give a brief overview of approaches that can be considered by presidents, mayors, CEOs and other professionals.