EXPERTS' OPINION ABOUT THE INTERACTION OF SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION, HEALTH AND FUTURE OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS IN SWITZERLAND

Introduction:

In NFP69 project on “Sustainable and healthy diets: Trade-offs and synergies”, we aim to look at intersection of diets, sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition. We examine how healthy diets support or contradict with sustainability in the Swiss food system.

Objectives:

We obtained opinion of Swiss key stakeholders on possible push and pull factors of health, nutrition and sustainable food system. It was the aim to discuss results of two literature reviews on “push-pull factors of diet and health” and “food trends” with experts.

Methods:

We conducted 10 qualitative expert interviews on 4 topics: nutrition – health, sustainable food systems, food trends, impact of interviewees institution. Interviewees were members of ministries, scientists, consumer organizations, producers, retailers, health care system, medical doctors, marketing researchers; representing French and German speaking part of Switzerland. Duration of interviews was 50 – 90 minutes. Interviews were tape recorded, excerpts analysed by qualitative content analysis according to Mayring (1991).

Results:

Experts agreed a) nutrition has major impact on health and environment b) consumption of meat products will have to be reduced, c) the Swiss population will have to adapt to changing supply. Regional food, convenience food, vegetarian food trends were seen as most common food trends. There was dissent on which percentage Swiss population will follow vegetarian dietary pattern in future, how to influence eating behaviour of the Swiss Society. While scientists opted for better education, self-responsibility; representatives of ministries, consumer organization and health care opted for policy regulations, improvement of nutrition profiles of food or implementation of taxes or subsidies by the government.

Conclusion:

Stakeholders and experts expect that there will be many changes and challenges in the Swiss agricultural food system in the years ahead. Both experts and stakeholders agree that the Swiss society will have to be prepared for such challenges. In this NFP69, the authors hope to contribute to find answers and ideas as to how to best face future challenges for the Swiss agricultural food system.

References:

Mayring, Philipp: Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. In: Flick, Uwe (Ed.); Kardoff, Ernst von (Ed.); Keupp, Heiner (Ed.); Rosenstiel, Lutz von (Ed.); Wolff, Stephan (Ed.): Handbuch qualitative Forschung: Grundlagen, Konzepte, Methoden und Anwendungen. München: Beltz – Psychologie Verl. Union, 1991.

Disclosure of Interest:

None declared.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).