Dole-Future Food Institute Study Identifies Key Contributors to Global Nutrition Inequality – Sustainable Brands

The Future Food Institute (FFI), in
partnership with the Dole Sunshine Company (which
refers collectively to Dole Asia Holdings, Dole Worldwide Packaged Foods
and Dole Asia Fresh) today unveiled Nutrition
Unpacked — a co-branded research initiative
that ‘unpacks’ insights about nutritional inequities and gaps around the world.
The study, conducted over the course of three months, combines quantitative data
with the input of academics, practitioners and the voices of grassroots
communities to uncover the underlying causes of global nutrition inequality and
identify actionable outcomes.

FFI brought a range of stakeholders to the table, literally — through a series
of six hosted dinners in Brazil, India, Zimbabwe, the United
States, Poland and Japan — to discuss barriers, gaps and potential
solutions. At each meal, educators, farmers, scientists, chefs, food
technologists, policymakers, nutritionists, consumers and more shared a meal,
and discussed their thoughts and perceptions about the gaps in nutrition and
potential solutions.

“’Nutrition for all’ implies a shared responsibility to find adequate measures
that benefit all stakeholders across the complex food system,” said FFI founder
Sara Roversi. “To that end, we partnered not only with Dole, but with
like-minded individuals and organizations all around the world to uncover the
underlying causes of malnutrition and food inequality. By combining quantitative
research and grassroots validation, we sought to uncover insights to drive
opportunities for efficient policymaking and overall social impact.”

The nutrition gap is defined as the mismatch between the nutrients needed for a
healthy diet and the nutrients consumed; and can be the result of a lack of
availability, affordability, access, and/or food choices. More than 820 million
people don’t have enough to eat; one in three people worldwide are affected by
malnutrition, making it the largest contributor to disease in the
world, according to the FAO.

In February, Dole launched a $2 million annual “Sunshine for All”
fund
— aimed at addressing gaps in food affordability, accessibility and
acceptability and waste around the world — as part of its corporate
“Promise” to improve nutrition globally by 2025. The partnership with FFI is a key part of that broader effort.

“We believe that good nutrition should be like sunshine — accessible to all
regardless of their gender, race or socioeconomic status. Looking at the
nutrition gaps through this research helped us uncover new insights and
fundamental local nuances crucial to creating sustainable solutions together,”
said Dole president Pier Luigi Sigismondi. “Closing nutrition gaps is not
just about understanding the different populations, but also the food ecosystems
and processes that contribute to unequal distribution.”

The new research unpacks four areas of focus that FFI and Dole will explore and
share:

• Social nutrition. The connection between food habits and broader social
  patterns to explore why we eat the way we do.

• Food generation gap. The values, preferences, beliefs, practices and
  desires that shape consumer behavior; and generational differences and
  perspectives on topics such as sustainability, taste, waste and traditions.

• Hidden hunger. This occurs when food quality does not satisfy nutrient
  requirements. Key causes include scarcity and contamination of natural
  resources, lack of access to nutritious food, mass production of
  monoculture, nutritional quality, food loss and lifestyle changes.

• Ecosystem. To assure nutrition for all, it is essential to go beyond
  undernutrition — focusing instead on redefining the food ecosystem while
  considering sustainability, food value chains, communities and
  infrastructures.

“Achieving nutrition for all requires many of us working together to completely
reshape our food ecosystem,” Sigismondi added. “How we do that without
compromising the livelihoods of local farmers and the limits of our planet is a
question we work towards answering every day.”

To learn more visit
nutritionunpacked.com.