What we eat and how we produce that food have significant effects on human health and the sustainability of our planet. But what is a ‘sustainable’ diet? A sustainable diet, as defined by the FAO, promotes health and well-being and provides food security for the present population while sustaining human and natural resources for future generations. This short course looks at the urgent need to address the sustainability of our food systems, including better understanding the complex relationship between diet and climate change. We’ll explore current research on dietary shifts needed in high, middle, and low-income countries to achieve both sustainability and food security goals and discuss evidence-based strategies to promote sustainable diets.
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Public Health Perspectives on Sustainable Diets
Instructors: Roni Neff
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What you'll learn
What is food system sustainability and resilience?
What is a "sustainable" diet - and why does it matter?
How can we make our food system more sustainable?
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There are 3 modules in this course
Our food system is much more than a supply chain that brings food from the farm to your plate. What is a food system? How can thinking about food as a system help us understand and address the messy overlapping issues of diet, food production, planetary health and climate change? What does ‘sustainability’ mean, in the context of food systems, and is it the same as resilience? How has COVID-19 pandemic amplified the many challenges faced by vulnerable workers and consumers? Roni Neff addresses these questions – and many more – in this opening series of lectures.
What's included
5 videos3 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
What defines a sustainable diet? Why do sustainable diets matter? And what might sustainable diets look like in the US and around the world? The answers may surprise you. In this engaging and thought-provoking set of lectures, Brent Kim will address these questions and explain recent research that compares the impact of different diets on greenhouse gas emissions and water use across 140 countries.
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt
In our final week, we will explore sustainable diets through the lens of a public health practitioner and registered dietitian. In this series of lectures, we’ll considering nutritional needs and why it is difficult to define a ‘sustainable’ diet for everyone. Then we’ll share evidence-based strategies for communicating about sustainable diets and how different sectors can play a role in advancing change. We hope you have enjoyed this short course! Please be sure to complete the post-course survey and leave us feedback on the Coursera platform.
What's included
4 videos2 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
Instructors
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Public Health
University of Cape Town
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
University of Copenhagen
University of Florida
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