Building on the Millennium Development Goals, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, billed by the UN as “an agenda of unprecedented scope and significance” These seventeen goals are conceived as integrated, indivisible, and as balancing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. To be achieved by 2030, the goals are organized around five core pillars: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. As a member of the SDGs Publishers Compact, Frontiers is committed to advocating the themes represented by the SDGs and accelerating progress to achieve them.
Nutrition sits at the heart of the SDGs. In addition to achieving ‘Zero Hunger’ (SDG2), improvements in nutrition are critical to both achieve and reap the benefits of all seventeen global goals. With good nutrition comes improved health and well-being (SDG3), enhanced educational and work productivity (SDGs 4 and 8), less poverty (SDG1) and reduced inequalities (SDGs 5 and 10). And with stronger and more sustainable environments, communities, and technologies (SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11-17) improved food security and nutrition will follow. As part of an innovative collection showcasing nutrition in the context of the SDGs, this Research Topic will focus on the Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption.
We lose or waste 25-30% of the total amount of food produced globally. Not only does this have more obvious effects on hampering food security for the most vulnerable populations, it has catastrophic consequences for environmental health and waste management infrastructure. Food loss and waste is the third-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions after the USA (first) and China (second), and - by wasting efforts invested into land used for food production - represents unnecessary losses to nature and biodiversity. It is therefore crucial that all stages of the food chain - from the farm, right through to the dinner table - work to reduce food losses and waste, culturing a circular economy mindset that improves global food security and both social and environmental health.
We therefore welcome Original Research, Review, and Perspective articles covering topics including but not limited to:
● The role of nutrition policy (guidelines, education actions, public health programs) in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption;
● The role of public and private sectors in the responsible consumption and production (nutrition-sensitive production);
● The contribution of the whole food-value chain (agriculture, industry, catering, consumer) in food waste preventive actions: from farm to fork;
● Consumers (measurements, policy, actions) as actors of responsible consumption in terms of food behaviors and food waste prevention (zero food waste);
● Impact of UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 on people’s health and sustainability of production;
● Advance food processing technologies for the valorization of agri-food by-products and agri-food waste for compounds and products with high-added value (e.g. bioactive compounds, functional compounds, production of clean energy) in a circular economy approach, and applied to the industries of agri-food and beverages, feed, chemicals, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics;
● Development of low-cost biodegradable packaging and edible coatings using, for example, food by-products as a source of packaging polymers and natural preservatives (antimicrobials, antioxidants, etc);
● Sustainable food design and development of processes (for example, edible coatings, fermented foods) to enhance the shelf-life of perishable food products;
● Product environment footprint (PEF), and life-cycle assessment (LCA);
● Consumer’s behavior and awareness towards responsible food consumption, food safety and diversified food consumption and nutrition;
● Food consumption versus socioeconomically and environmentally feasibility and sustainability and lowering product environment footprint (PEF);
● Global sensorial perception and preferences of the consumers;
● Marketing and policies that may influence consumers’ practices and market orientation, and may promotes public health and prevents chronic diseases;
● Qualification of farmers, enterprises, consumers and other stakeholders;
● Development of new business models towards responsible consumption. Business cases and Economic Feasibility studies (EFS).
Explore the other collections within the Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal series: •
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education •
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water•
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land •
Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals