Food System Overhaul Needed to tackle Hunger, Obesity & Climate Change, Says Nutrition Expert
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Renowned nutritionist Marion Nestle is calling for a radical transformation of the food system, arguing that current agricultural practices prioritize profit over public health and environmental sustainability. In a recent NPR interview,Nestle emphasized the urgent need to shift focus from food for animals and automobiles to food for people,advocating for systemic changes to address interconnected crises of hunger,obesity,and climate change.
Nestle’s assessment comes as rates of diet-related diseases continue to climb alongside growing concerns about the environmental impact of industrial agriculture. The current system, she explains, actively incentivizes consumption of the moast profitable foods – often those detrimental to health and the planet – creating an uphill battle for individuals attempting to make informed choices. “Even the act of going into a grocery store and trying to make healthy choices means that you, as an individual, are up against an entire food system that is aimed at getting you to eat the most profitable foods possible, irrespective of their effects on health and the environment,” Nestle stated.
The core of Nestle’s proposed solution centers on three key areas: transforming agricultural production,reforming the electoral system to prioritize public health,and aligning economic incentives with social and public health values.She acknowledges these are “revolutionary concepts” given the current political and economic landscape, but stresses the necessity of advocacy.
Nestle champions a simple dietary guideline as a starting point: “Eat real food, processed as little as possible, with a big emphasis on plants.” Though, she insists individual efforts are insufficient without broader systemic change.”You have to join organizations. You have to join with other people who are interested in the same issues and concerned about the same problems and get together with them to set some goals for what you’d like to do and then work towards those goals. As if you don’t do it, who will?”
The interview, produced and edited by Therese Madden and Anna Bauman for broadcast, and adapted for the web by Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Meghan Sullivan, underscores the growing call for a more equitable and sustainable food future.
