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The pressing discussion of sustainable food systems

Mulia Nurhasan and Amy Ickowitz (The Jakarta Post)

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Bogor, West Java

Fri, November 2, 2018 Published on Nov. 2, 2018 Published on 2018-11-02T08:53:07+07:00

Humans generally select what to eat based on taste, as well as the nutritional state of the body, but the exact mechanism involved in the selection has remained largely a mystery. (Shutterstock/File)

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ndonesia has invited archipelagic and island states to forge closer cooperation under the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum, which is holding its third senior officials meeting and first ministerial meeting from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Manado, North Sulawesi.

One essential issue that should be discussed is the creation of a sustainable food system. With their uniqueness in geography and natural resources, archipelagic and island states need to reposition nutrition security for their countries and explore the richness and benefits of local food resources for a more sustainable future.

The majority of AIS member countries are small states in the Pacific. Similar to Indonesia, many are struggling with the “double burden” of malnutrition, which means they are faced with both over and undernutrition.

Malnutrition is often addressed with a predominantly medicalized approach of tackling individual micronutrient deficiencies through supplementation and fortification programs. Such an approach fails to deal with the major dietary shifts that are occurring from diets rich in plant foods and complex carbohydrates to those high in fat, simple carbohydrates and highly processed foods.