IGD has launched a new framework to help organisations move the population’s diet closer to the UK government’s Eatwell Guide, which is the foundation for healthier, more sustainable diets. IGD’s ‘Framework for Population Diet Change’ shows how organisations can accelerate healthy sustainable diet (HSD) adoption, while engaging consumers and importantly, delivering commercial value growth.
The framework identifies seven practical levers that businesses can use across the whole organisation to drive diet change. Each lever supports progress to a healthy and sustainable diet in ways that are practical and will deliver even greater impact. The report showcases real-world case studies in support of each lever, featuring organisations that are making great progress in this area.
These levers are:
- Value case: reframing dietary change as a growth opportunity
- Business integration: commercial ownership and KPIs, healthier basket mindset and cross-functional governance and upskilling
- Data: embedding sales with nutrition data, integrating with commercial decisionsand shared SKU-level environmental and health metrics
- Supply chain: farm-to-fork partnerships, shared reporting and metrics, and reducing exposure to volatility
- Innovation: considering health and environmental impact alongside margin, and introducing next-generation technology
- Consumer behaviour: nudging consumers towards healthier choices through placement, promotions & marketing within stores and digital channels
- Policy & sector alignment: joined-up policy implementation and consistent reporting
Kirsty Saddler, director of health & sustainability programmes at IGD, comments: “Latest NDNS data shows that now less than 0.1% of UK adults achieve all the recommendations set out in the Eatwell Guide. People want to eat more healthily and sustainably, but it is too costly, complex and inconvenient in today’s food system. Many of the solutions for change exist in our industry but are not employed in sufficiently consistent or integrated ways across organisations to ‘turn the tide’.
“System-wide change is needed and the seven practical levers set out in our framework are proven to work by leading organisations across the food sector. We will continue to develop the framework to inform change for the health of the population, businesses and planet. Our aim is to provide businesses with a consistent, practical and strategic approach for long-term progress.”
The food system faces significant challenges which pose major risks for the industry, from rising healthcare costs and workplace sickness to climate-driven disruption and consumer barriers. The framework for population diet change explains how linking health and sustainability can unlock faster progress towards addressing these risks, as both areas are essential to the future of the food system.
For example, the food system is responsiblefor 30% of UK GHG emissions[1] and shifting to sustainable diets can cut food-related emissions by 30%[2], as outlined in A Net Zero Transition
