New Nordic, Mediterranean and Japanese: FAO promotes traditional diets for sustainable development

28 Nov 2019 --- A global move back to traditional ways of eating, over prescribed diets and fast food, is necessary to advance toward a food system that respects the environment, culture and the human health. This was the main sentiment put forward at an UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-supported event in Rome, Italy. Director-General Qu Dongyu appealed to the event attendees – nutritionists, diet-related experts, UN agents and academics – to join FAO’s efforts in establishing food systems that are more nutritious and inclusive to produce “food that not only feeds the people but also nourishes them.”

“FAO is not promoting traditional diets because they are traditional. We are promoting traditional, evidenced-supported diets that are health-promoting, caring for the environment, economically affordable and socio-culturally acceptable. Prescribed diets are not an answer for the growing global problems of malnutrition and environmental degradation. Unless sustainable healthy diets are culturally acceptable, their uptake by the communities would not be high,” Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer, Nutrition and Food Systems Division, FAO, tells NutritionInsight.

The traditional Japanese diet spotlights physical activity, sufficient hydration and moderate portions in its dietary outline.“Promoting and protecting healthy diets and making them available, accessible and affordable is critical for having a fulfilled and happy life,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said in his opening remarks. Qu petitioned the present stakeholders to join FAO’s efforts in ensuring that traditional diets reclaim its central positioning in people’s minds. He also encouraged the young generations in particular to re-discover enjoyment of cooking healthy meals at home as opposed to opting for fast-food meals. 

Currently, a combination of factors, such as population growth, globalization, urbanization, economic pressures and the fast pace of life, has driven change in diet and consumption patterns. This explains how the health benefits of such traditional diets are often neglected or insufficiently made aware of.

Traditional diets in detail
The FAO chief spoke of four traditional diets: the Mediterranean, the New Nordic, the South of China’s Regional Cuisine and the traditional Japanese. He also underlined the fact that food also has a certain cultural and historical value, containing “the wisdom of our ancestors and the cultural essence of generations.” In essence, all four diets are the regional interpretations of the tenets of healthy eating, namely regular intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and moderate to regular intake of fish and alcohol. 

The differences between them are based on regional availability. The New Nordic Diet relies on foraged plant foods, root vegetables and cabbage, which are easier to grow in colder climates. As the southern Chinese region is warm and rainy enough to grow rice, this is a staple ingredient in Asian cuisines. Island countries, such as Japan, incorporate high amounts of freshly caught fish into their diets. The Japanese diet also encourages people to “eat with their eyes” and “hara hachi bu,” or “eat until you are 80 percent full,” a Confucian saying taught to children from a young age. 

Health benefits
In addition to the health benefits of lower mortality and risks of cardiovascular disease, these diets are based on the idea of moderation and variety which are important aspects of healthy diets, Hachem says. Research has confirmed numerous health benefits gained from the Mediterranean diet, ranging from boosting microbial health to reducing prenatal weight gain and diabetes, even preventing hearing loss.

Noticeably, long life expectancy is the highest in Japan, with southern Japanese city Okinawa famed for housing the highest number of centenarians in the world as well as the lowest risk of age-related diseases. 

Qu says he represents the combination of an “Asian soul” and a “global mind.”However, traditional diets are not a one-size-fits-all solution for total health. This has given rise to the increasingly popular trend of personalized nutrition. “FAO has never advocated for one-diet-fits-all. The cultural context of healthy diets has always been an important issue for FAO. We promote traditional diets that are supported by scientific evidence as to their contribution to the health of people and the environment,” Hachem explains.

Malnutrition
Malnutrition in all its forms is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, FAO underlines. The causes of the current state of malnutrition around the world are complex, but unhealthy diets remain one of the leading contributors to the issue. Food insecurity continues to put Sub-Saharan African families at risk for micronutrient deficiencies, while ultra-processed foods in Latin and Central America contribute to overall worsening health.

“The food industry will need to rethink the formulation of their products so that they are better aligned with nutritional guidelines while reducing their environmental footprints,” Hachem affirms. For example, processed foods can contribute to food and nutrition security by increasing the shelf-life and availability of foods, but they also tend to be high in energy, saturated fats, sugar and salt, all of which are contributing negatively to the nutritional outcomes and the increase of the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, she maintains.

“Transforming our food systems is essential in ensuring healthy eating patterns,” Qu concluded at the event, stressing the need to make sustainable healthy diets affordable to all, especially to the most vulnerable.

By Anni Schleicher