Empowering Food Citizens: Together for Nutrition and Food Systems Transformation.

Re-connect, Re-nourish, Re-inspire…

Each year, the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) holds its international conference. It is the premier event for worldwide professionals working at the research, practice and policy nexus related to nutrition education and behavioral change.1  The SNEB conferences are a vital platform to discuss the transformational power that nutrition education and behavior change solutions, can have to promote equity, public and planetary health, and ultimately contribute to sustainable development.2-4 In this editorial, it is my great pleasure and honor to extend to you, SNEB members, potential members and partners from all parts of the world, a warm invitation to fully engage and participate during the preparations of the 2023 SNEB Conference that will be held in Washington D.C.

Let’s get acquainted with the 2023 SNEB conference theme “Empowering Food Citizens: Together for Nutrition and Food Systems Transformation. Re-connect, Re-nourish, Re-inspire”. This theme capitalizes on SNEB’s expertise for promoting effective nutrition education and behavior through research, policy, and practice, and invites all of us to come together to identify and propose the most powerful ways to empower food citizens, who must be at the heart of nutrition and food systems transformation. 5,6

In 2020, the whole world came to a halt  due to the pandemic. COVID-19 unprecedently arrived on top of growing malnutrition, environmental and food systems challenges, and reaffirmed that our world suffers of unacceptable food and nutrition inequalities.5-8 The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report, indicated that almost 40 percent of the world’s population cannot afford a healthy diet, putting them in a vulnerable situation. 7 A situation that affects all of us, because we are all connected.8

This urgent need to re-connect, re-nourish, and re-inspire pushed everyone’s effort to work towards actionable “pathways for transitioning food systems to protect human and planetary health”, 5,9 and several opportunities have been put in place to ensure an active and meaningful participation of all people. 5,8 Two remarkable examples are the past 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit and the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to be held in September 2022. 9,10

The 2023 SNEB conference will be also the perfect platform to build upon, share and apply new developments, evidence, and expertise to better understand and influence the interconnections between food-related behaviors, food systems, nutrition education research and practice approaches and policies for healthier diets.11  At this conference, we can work together towards maximizing the “multiplier effect” of nutrition education and behavior for ensuring that no one is left behind, and that everybody, from policy makers to producers to consumers, are empowered to become active food citizens, real partners, and thus drivers of change. 8,12,13   

This 2023 conference will also be the place to unleash, discover and/or live what makes SNEB unique. Without a doubt, its uniqueness comes from each of its members. SNEB people, through its specialized Divisions inspire others with innovative approaches and cultivate strong connections to nourish each other’s professional growth. You will not leave the conference without feeling the solidarity everywhere!

So, are you ready to live the SNEB 2023 conference experience? We hope so and urge you to consider the following: 1) save the date on your calendars for Washington D.C, July 20-23, 2023; 2) the call for programs is open with a due date in early October; 3) the first deadline to submit an abstract is during the month of January; and finally  4) encourage others to share their work and attend the conference. For more details visit www.sneb.org/2023.

Enjoy this journey and I look forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C!

by Yenory Hernández-Garbanzo, PhD, President-Elect, Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior

REFERENCES

  1. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022 Conference. https://raybourn.force.com/SNEB/s/lt-event?id=a1Y1U000003EUTuUAO#/Overview-%26-Registration. Accessed June 13, 2022
  2. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. About. https://www.sneb.org/about/. Accessed June 13, 2022
  3. Koch, P. 2020 Conference Theme: What Food Future?. J Nut Educ Behav. 2019; 51(8): 917.
  4. United Nations. The 17 Goals-Sustainable Development Goals.2015. https://sdgs.un.org/goals. Accessed June 14, 2022
  5. GLOPAN and the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021. Food Systems Summit Brief: The Transition Steps Needed to Transform Our Food Systems. 2021 https://www.glopan.org/the-transition-steps-needed-to-transform-our-food-systems/. Accessed June 14, 2022
  6. School-based food and nutrition education – A white paper on the current state, principles, challenges and recommendations for low- and middle-income countries.2020. https://www.fao.org/3/cb2064en/cb2064en.pdf. Accessed June 12, 2022
  7. FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021. Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb4474en. Accessed June 15, 2022
  8. World Food Day 2022: Leave No One Behind. Communications Handbook and Toolkit. 2022. https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/communication-toolkit/en. Accessed June 15, 2022
  9. United Nations. Food Systems Summit 2021. https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit. Accessed June 15, 2022
  10. S. Department of Health and Human Services. White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. 2022. https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/white-house-conference-hunger-nutrition-and-health Accessed June 10, 2022
  11. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Nutrition Educator Competencies for Promoting Healthy Individuals, Communities and Food Systems. 2016. https://www.sneb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Competencies-Page-Updated-5.3.22.pdf Accessed June 13, 2022
  12. Food and nutrition education for healthy diets. Infographic. 2016. http://www.fao.org/3/a-c0064e.pdf. Accessed June 10, 2022
  13. Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition. Policy actions to support enhanced consumer behaviour for high-quality diets. Policy Brief No. 8. https://www.glopan.org/consumer-behaviour/ Accessed June 10, 2022