Integrated national food policy

Urban food policies have spread, especially in Europe, according to different paths, responding to the challenges that territories express with respect to their local food systems. Food policies intersect with urban agendas in multiple ways, and they have greatly developed in the last decades, with several cities joining important networks such as the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. However, in the absence of a national regulatory framework, the territories move in a scattered and sometimes inconsistent manner. The goal of healthy and sustainable diets should be supported by a national policy capable of connecting the various elements of food systems in a systematic and coordinated way. Against this backdrop, the Integrated National Food Policy (INFP) will support the transition through more sustainable food systems and the enhancement of the food environments, through the integration with existing relevant policies and strategies in the field of agriculture, circular economy, food waste and losses, rural development, logistics. The INFP will be developed coherently with the One Health approach, that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

• Take stock of the current national and international policies to support healthy and sustainable diets (M1-M6).
• Review of evidence and findings from other Tasks and activities, especially WP7.2, WP7.3 and T.7.3.3 (M7-M12).
• Institution of a National Food Council, a multi-stakeholder arena in the form of a Living Lab aimed at discussing challenges, priorities and paths for the food system sustainability, based on an agreement upon a set of shared principles (M13).
• Drafting of a set of legislative proposal towards an Integrated National Food Policy (M14-M20).
• Discussion and exchange with relevant stakeholder and policymakers, to review, adjust, and integrate the draft proposal (M20-M30).
• Definition of a technical document for improving the governance of the national food systems (M30-M36).

Given that food systems are perpetually changing, a statistical tool will be developed in order to automatically and continuously provide a self-compiling analysis of the national agri-food system.  This will allow the reformulation of the priorities based on the most recent data at disposal.

• Definition of a national regulatory framework for the promotion of healthy and sustainable diets.
• Definition of support schemes for sustainable agricultural practices.
• Definition of public-private agreements for the promotion of supply chains capable of distributing products obtained with respect for the environment and healthy for human health, in line with the One Health approach.
• Harmonization of other policies directly or indirectly related to the sustainability of food systems (Common Agricultural Policy, Cohesion Policy, National Strategy for Inner Areas).
• Increased awareness of the benefits of a healthy and sustainable diet among the population, especially among the younger age groups.
• Reduced healthcare costs thanks to more balanced, territorialized and diversified nutritional models.
• Increasing plant and animal biodiversity and mitigating climate change thanks to more sustainable agricultural systems.