Food systems are inherently complex, linking in the health of people, animals, plants and the environment. They are influenced by anthropogenic factors, which in turn are shaped by economic, political and socio-cultural drivers (Rocheleau et al., 2022). One Health solutions are therefore valuable as they establish linkages between healthcare systems, production processes, ecological resources, biomass, trade, economic systems, societal frameworks, migration patterns, and behavior, among various other factors (Häsler et al., 2023). In the case of food systems, this interconnection is evident through a variety of concerns including the transmission of zoonotic diseases between animals and humans; nutritional issues around ultra-processed foods and drinks, and accessibility to healthy and nutritious food, and their impact in health issues related to the triple burden of malnutrition.
Current Food Systems erode human, animal and ecosystems health. As the primary driver of biodiversity loss, food systems have a substantial environmental footprint, contributing to deforestation, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss. Unsustainable agricultural practices, such as intensive monoculture farming, intensive livestock farming, pesticide and fertiliser use, and deforestation, harm ecosystems, increasing nutrient overloading in waterways and the wider environment and crucially depleting biodiversity.
Transitioning from a reactive to a proactive stance necessitates One Health approaches that tackle the various factors driving disease emergence. These factors encompass land use changes due to infrastructure, industrial development, and agricultural expansion, as well as unsustainable, unsafe, or illegal practices in animal hunting, farming, and trade. Additionally, overarching influences like climate change, poverty, socioeconomic inequalities, and fundamental animal and human health and welfare practices must be taken into account. A One Health approach would not just help to prevent new epidemics and pandemics, but would also provide significant economic, social and environmental co-benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions (OHHLEP, 2023).
Zoonoses originating from farming and food production are systemically reduced through context-specific, evidence- and local knowledge-based, environmentally sensitive policies and interventions developed through the One Health approach and complemented by capacity building and strengthened governance structures.
UNEP is uniquely placed as it has a special cross-sectoral understanding on the environmental and social impacts food systems have. Through the lens of sustainability, it can expand the concept of a healthy diet to be one that is conscious of the impact on the planet and the reliability of resources for the future.
