Operationalizing Food Systems-Based Dietary Guidelines: A Transdisciplinary and Participatory Food Systems-Based...

Area of Science:

• Food Systems Analysis
• Environmental Sustainability
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The global food system significantly impacts environmental change.
• There's a growing need for food-system based dietary guidelines incorporating environmental sustainability.
• Chile lacks comprehensive guidelines for integrating food-based dietary recommendations into diverse local food systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the complexities of implementing new Chilean Dietary Guidelines within local food systems.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for sustainable food systems across distinct Chilean regions.
• To develop a framework for culturally relevant and context-specific food policy.

Main Methods:

• Employed a transdisciplinary, participatory food systems approach across five distinct Chilean regions.
• Utilized local food system mapping, surveys, and group model building workshops.
• Developed regional definitions and synthesized causal loop diagrams to understand system dynamics.

Main Results:

• Identified 14 overarching themes critical to local food systems, including policy, school programs, sustainability, production, climate change, and cultural food knowledge.
• Highlighted strong awareness among food system actors regarding the links between territory, climate, food, and environmental sustainability.
• Revealed 143 food system drivers and factors influencing sustainable food practices.

Conclusions:

• A transdisciplinary approach is essential for strengthening sustainable food systems and mitigating climate change.
• Participatory methods ensure public health policies align with territorial and intercultural realities.
• Identifying community-based leverage points is critical for effective and equitable implementation of food-based dietary guidelines.