Malte
Discussion topic outcome
2. What are the actions that Government can take in making healthy food for children more accessible, available, and affordable? The Government is currently drafting a national policy on food systems in their entirety. This will necessarily involve stakeholders from along the food supply, production, consumption and disposal chain in order to clarify needs for healthy, sustainable dietary patterns and discuss practical strategies and solutions for meeting these needs in the short-, medium- and long-term. It is necessary to support farmers by ensuring that they have access to land, equipment, t
... Lire la suiteechnical knowledge, the market and finance. In addition, it is important to identify areas where the government can assist farmers and food producers to help them manage and mitigate the impact of climate change. Health campaigns have a pivotal role to positively influence families to adopt healthier food options as part of their everyday lifestyle. Children need nutritious food from a young age and adult ‘gatekeepers’ (parents, relatives, school communities) have a critical role in educating about food and creating an environment conducive to healthy eating. It is crucial for our educational programmes to address current and future needs by also enabling children to fully understand the interconnectedness between food, health and the environment. At the same time, we need to towards a society where the right food decisions are easy to make. Examples of possible solutions include: moving less healthy snacks away from the checkout aisles at supermarkets (where they are often a temptation to young children and adults alike); assisting sport groups, scouts, youth and catechism centres to promote healthy eating through facilitating hands-on cooking sessions and subsidising vending machines with healthier food items; providing low-income families with vouchers which can only be redeemed to buy fresh produce or to buy directly from local farmers or fisherfolk. Authorities should make sure that food is produced as sustainably as possible, and that it is produced in line with animal welfare standards. If farmers are promoted to sell their products on their property, more people will be encouraged to directly support the local community by buying fresh food directly from the farm. Furthermore, this will also enable children to understand where food comes from and to appreciate the process through which food goes from farm to fork. The linkages between physical health, obesity and exercise, also highlight the importance of facilitating physical activity and the availability of open, green spaces. Both informational and structural efforts towards the promotion of shifting from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle should be pushed across all age groups by the state and also non-state entities. Lire moins
Piste(s) d'Action: 1, 2, 3
Mots-clés : Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Innovation, Policy, Trade-offs, Women & Youth Empowerment