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Author:  Francesco Giurdanella  Reviewed and Edited by: Sarah Anderson and Prof Sumantra Ray The concept of gastrodiplomacy was defined in the early 2010s by Paul Rockower, in an article published in the Taiwanese journal Issues & Studies, where Rockower wrote: “Gastrodiplomacy is predicated on the notion that the easiest way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach.” Gastrodiplomacy has implications for multiple aspects of economies and international relations. Like many emerging concepts, gastrodiplomacy can be defined in various ways, but it is gaining global recognition.    In a practical sense, gastrodiplomacy is not only an effective negotiating tool but also a means of representing a country's heritage. Countries such as France, Thailand, Japan, Korea, India, and Italy have leveraged their cuisine as a tool of soft power, promoting their culture while supporting economic growth. Food can also facilitate decision-making, act as a gateway to cultural understanding, and foster deeper integration between peoples.     As expressed in a recent article by Johanna Mendelson Forman on the Foreign Policy website : “Dinners, and food in general, are used to celebrate complex diplomatic feats like the 1979 state dinner that Jimmy Carter hosted for Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, marking the peace deal between their two countries. Ronald Reagan holds the record for hosting 59 state dinners. He used these occasions to showcase the power of American cuisine. A recent memoir by Tom Loftus, the U.S. ambassador to Norway during the Clinton administration, features a chapter discussing how important dinners and wine promotion were to his diplomatic work.”   Sharing a plate is both a political and a promotional gesture; ultimately, eating together carries political meaning. A great example of gastrodiplomacy is the Mobile Teaching Kitchen Initiative (MTK) , developed and curated by the NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health. The initiative reflects the very foundation of gastrodiplomacy: winning hearts and minds through the stomach.     Currently, the MTK features a diverse range of culturally tailored menu templates, organised to cover the largest possible number of regions represented. This model is embodied in the concept of gastrodiplomacy but enhanced by the representation of diverse menus and cultures, as well as the social, nutritional, and gender impacts of food.     The concept of the MTK initiative ultimately represents what we might define as a “kitchen embassy,” where the kitchen is transformed from a laboratory, where food is prepared and reworked, into a true embassy, where food not only represents a means of subsistence, but also a means of promoting and representing cultures that foster communion and the sharing of ideas, starting in the kitchen and ending at the table. The MTK team supported the 10th International Summit on Food, Nutrition, and Health, held in Kolkata, India, in December 2024, serving in-person delegates representing 35 countries.     This year, the Scottish MTK initiative will continue the tradition by serving as the catering team for the  11 th  International Summit ’s Gala Dinner, taking place in Dundee, Scotland, on 11 th  December 2025. The MTK model will showcase its nutritious foundations through menus specifically designed to connect cultures often considered worlds apart.   The MTK initiative is a great model of bottom-up gastrodiplomacy, in which the protagonists —namely, chefs— become ambassadors themselves, creating and facilitating relationships built around food. With this logic, the MTK case aims to inspire the concept of food, even as a grassroots political tool, to be more widespread and consolidated.     Food and nutrition straddle both the humanities and sciences. From a scientific perspective, eating with others can trigger the release of endorphins2. Additionally, the very act of chewing can trigger the release of serotonin, potentially improving mood. There are also social benefits to the camaraderie of eating and drinking with others, which contribute to the creation and promotion of a more harmonious intercultural understanding that links both science and society through food and culture.     Ultimately, gastrodiplomacy highlights the power of food as both a cultural bridge and a diplomatic tool. The Mobile Teaching Kitchen initiative demonstrates how cuisine can transcend borders, foster mutual understanding, and promote both health and harmony. As food continues to shape our social and political landscapes, models such as the MTK remind us that the kitchen can truly serve as an embassy that connects people through the universal language of food.  Method  ChatGPT was used for sectioning the topics in this blog and to clean up grammar.    References:    Spence, Charles, 2016, Gastrodiplomacy: Assessing the role of food in decision-making. Flavour, Vol. 5, BioMed Central, London, United Kingdom https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13411-016-0050-8#Fn37   https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/07/trump-culinary-diplomacy-mar-a-lago/    https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/25/china-xi-jinping-war-dinner-economy/    https://cup.columbia.edu/book/gastronativism/9780231202077/    https://www.bonappetit.com/story/american-culinary-corps-trump-biden-diplomacy?srsltid=AfmBOooTfBcFELXEBbH8udo8d_FGHyXhlBNNB3iYWEyaQ57W8_WdSqbp    https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/03/02/gastro-diplomacy-ukraines-soft-power-gambit-for-stomachs-hearts-and-minds    https://www.esteri.it/it/diplomazia-economica-e-politica-commerciale/diplomaziaeconomica/promozione-integrata-del-sistema/le-rassegne-tematiche/settimana-della-cucina-italiana/    https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1887847    https://www.economie.gouv.fr/actualites/une-strategie-nationale-pour-faire-rayonner-la-haute-gastronomie-francaise#

Author: Janice Man Editors: Jenneffer Tibaes, Sarah Anderson, Wanja Nyaga Acknowledgements: NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health; International Academy of Nutrition Educators (IANE); BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health; Author of the Article – Davis et al.; ChatGPT.  The 2023 State of Food and Agriculture report  focuses on unpacking the full impacts and dependencies of agrifood systems, going beyond traditional measures to reveal the hidden costs that food production and consumption impose on the environment, health, and society. It emphasises the need for a holistic assessment of agrifood systems to better understand these interconnected challenges and guide more sustainable policies. At the core of the report is true cost accounting (TCA) , a framework that captures not only the market value of food but also the external costs often ignored in decision-making. These include greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water use, malnutrition, and healthcare expenses associated with dietary choices. By translating these impacts into monetary terms, TCA makes them visible and comparable, helping policymakers and stakeholders weigh trade-offs more effectively.  The findings reveal the scale of the issue: the global hidden costs of agrifood systems are estimated at US$12.7 trillion (2020 PPP) , roughly 10% of world GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Even under conservative assumptions, these costs are at least US$10.8 trillion, and potentially much higher. This staggering figure highlights the urgent need for transformation, as current food systems are not only inefficient but also unsustainable and inequitable. By quantifying these costs, the report provides a strong evidence base for reform. It demonstrates how subsidies, policies, and investments can be reformed to mitigate negative impacts while enhancing benefits, such as healthier diets, reduced emissions, and fairer labour practices. The analysis also underlines the importance of cross-country comparisons to identify where interventions could have the greatest effect.  Finally, the report positions this edition as a starting point for future action. The FAO plans to expand on this work in the 2024 report, offering more detailed case studies and practical examples of TCA in action, especially in countries with limited data and resources. This continuity signals a broader shift toward integrating true cost approaches into global agrifood policy and decision-making.  Read the full study here .    Method  ChatGPT was used for sectioning the topics in this blog and to clean up grammar.      References    Davis, B., Mane, E., Gurbuzer, L.Y., Caivano, G., Piedrahita, N., Schneider, K., Azhar, N. et al. 2023. Estimating global and country-level employment in agrifood systems. FAO Statistics Working Paper Series, No. 23-34. Rome, FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/cc4337en/cc4337en.pdf      FAO. 2022. The State of Food and Agriculture 2022. Leveraging agricultural automation for transforming agrifood systems. Rome, FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/CC7724EN/CC7724EN.pdf      Kraak, V.I., Swinburn, B., Lawrence, M. & Harrison, P. 2014. An accountability framework to promote healthy food environments. Public Health Nutrition, 17(11): 2467–2483. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014000093      HLPE (High Level Panel of Experts). 2017. Nutrition and food systems – A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security. Rome, FAO. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7846e.pdf      UNSCN (United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition). 2016. Impact Assessment of Policies to Support Healthy Food Environments and Healthy Diet – Implementing the Framework for Action of the Second International Conference on Nutrition. Rome. https://www.unscn.org/uploads/web/news/document/DiscPaper3-EN-WEB.pdf      Capitals Coalition. n.d. The Capitals Approach. In: Capitals Coalition. [Cited 8 December 2022]. https://capitalscoalition.org/capitals-approach      FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP & WHO. 2022. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. Repurposing food and agricultural policies to make healthy diets more affordable. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0639en      Ewert, B. & Loer, K. 2021. Advancing behavioural public policies: in pursuit of a more comprehensive concept. Policy and Politics, 49(1): 25–47. https://doi.org/10.1332/030557320X15907721287475      Cesareo, M., Sorgente, A., Labra, M., Palestini, P., Sarcinelli, B., Rossetti, M., Lanz, M. et al. 2022. The effectiveness of nudging interventions to promote healthy eating choices: A systematic review and an intervention among Italian university students. Appetite, 168: 105662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105662     Elwin, P., Amadi, E., Mitchell, E. & Hunter, P. 2023. Financial markets roadmap for transforming the global food system. In: Planet Tracker. https://planet-tracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Financial-Markets-Roadmap-for-transforming-the-Global-Food-System.pdf      Riemer, O., Mairaj Shah, T.M. & Müller, A. 2023. The role of true cost accounting in guiding agrifood businesses and investments towards sustainability – Background paper for The State of Food and Agriculture 2023. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Working Paper, No. 23-13. Rome, FAO.     Meybeck, A. & FAO, eds. 2014. Voluntary Standards for Sustainable Food Systems: Challenges and Opportunities – A Workshop of the FAO/UNEP Programme on Sustainable Food Systems. Rome, FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/i3421e/i3421e.pdf      Pernechele, V., Fontes, F., Baborska, R., Nkuingoua, J., Pan, X. & Tuyishime, C. 2021. Public expenditure on food and agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa – Trends, challenges and priorities. Rome, FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/cb4492en/cb4492en.pdf      TEEB. 2018. TEEB for Agriculture & Food: Scientific and Economic Foundations. Geneva, Switzerland, UN Environment. https://teebweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Foundations_Report_Final_October.pdf      Gemmill-Herren, B., Baker, L.E. & Daniels, P.A., eds. 2021. True cost accounting for food – Balancing the scale. London, New York, Routledge.

Author: Janice Man Editors: Jenneffer Tibaes, Sarah Anderson Acknowledgements: NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health; International Academy of Nutrition Educators (IANE); BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health; Author of the Article –Susan Miller Davis, Amanda Hong, Mihir Mathur, Jon Schroeder; Senior Director: Chad Frischmann; ChatGPT. Food loss and waste represent a significant contributor to climate change and resource inefficiency. Approximately one-third of all food produced globally goes uneaten, squandering water, land, energy, labour, and capital while generating about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Scope and Drivers of Food Waste Food loss and waste occur at every stage of the supply chain, from production through consumption. However, the primary causes vary dramatically by region. In lower-income areas, inadequate infrastructure presents the main challenge. Limited access to appropriate storage facilities, unreliable transport networks, and outdated processing methods mean that significant portions of food never reach the market. Conversely, in higher-income regions, waste typically stems from retail and consumer behaviours. Supermarkets often reject produce based solely on appearance standards, restaurants serve oversized portions, and households frequently over-purchase or discard food before spoilage occurs. Each context requires tailored solutions to address its specific waste drivers.  Climate and Environmental Impact The environmental cost of food waste extends far beyond the discarded item itself. Every wasted food product has already used land, water, labour, energy, and other resources throughout its journey from farm to fork. When this food ultimately reaches a landfill, decomposition releases methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. The scale of this impact is staggering: food waste is responsible for around 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing this waste delivers significant climate benefits while simultaneously easing pressure on ecosystems. By decreasing demand for agricultural expansion, waste reduction helps prevent deforestation and protects biodiversity. Modelling and Emissions Reduction Scenarios Project Drawdown has modelled the potential climate impact of food waste reduction using two scenarios, both benchmarked against a 2014 baseline. The first scenario envisions a 50% reduction in food loss and waste by 2050, which would avoid approximately 88.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. This reduction comes from three sources: avoided food production, reduced land conversion, and the preservation of natural ecosystems. The second, more aggressive scenario targets a 75% reduction by 2050, potentially avoiding about 102.2 gigatonnes of emissions. These figures highlight the remarkable scale of climate benefits achievable through coordinated interventions. Co-benefits of Reducing Food Waste Climate mitigation represents just one advantage of reducing food waste. Perhaps the most immediate benefit is improved food security. By redirecting food that would otherwise be wasted, communities can improve nutritional access without requiring further agricultural output. This improved nutrition translates into better health outcomes, including enhanced cardiovascular health and healthier body weights. Waste reduction also improves resource efficiency across the board, reducing strain on land, water, and energy systems while shrinking the environmental footprint of the entire food sector. These interconnected benefits create a powerful case for action beyond climate concerns alone. Implementation Strategies Effective approaches to reducing food waste must account for regional circumstances and capabilities. In lower-income regions, strategic infrastructure investments offer the greatest potential impact. Cold storage facilities, reliable transport networks, and modern processing equipment can significantly reduce post-harvest losses. Higher-income regions require a different approach, focusing primarily on transforming retail and consumer practices. Public awareness campaigns, clearer labelling that distinguishes between “best before” and “use by” dates, and business incentives for donating surplus food can create substantial improvements. Regardless of context, success requires collaboration among governments, businesses, charitable organisations, and research institutions. Partnerships such as those between Project Drawdown and ReFED demonstrate the power of combining rigorous data analysis, practical policy tools, and strategic investment approaches to address the challenge at scale. Conclusion Reducing food waste stands out as one of the most immediate and effective strategies for addressing climate change while promoting a more sustainable food system. When implemented globally, these efforts could prevent up to 102 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 2050, a contribution comparable to entire economic sectors. The benefits extend beyond environmental impact, encompassing improved nutrition, better public health outcomes, and ecosystem protection. Realising these outcomes requires targeted strategies that reflect local conditions, supported by robust cooperation among governments, businesses, non-profit organisations, and communities. By combining infrastructure improvements, supportive policies, strategic investment, and behaviour change initiatives, the global food system can become significantly more efficient, resilient, and equitable. The recipe for change is clear; now we must act on it. Read the full study here . Method ChatGPT was used for sectioning the topics in this blog and to clean up grammar. References Project Drawdown. Reduced food waste. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://drawdown.org/solutions/reduced-food-waste

< Regional Networks page Nutrition Education Policy in Healthcare Practice (NEPHELP) Summary NEPHELP aims to develop, test, improve and implement nutrition education resources for doctors in hospitals and community settings. We present core nutrition materials to doctors, and other healthcare professionals, taking on board their feedback and tailoring the material and delivery to fit their needs best. Ultimately this allows us to advocate for greater nutrition training in mandatory curricula, and support education teams to implement this. aims We aim to empower doctors with greater nutrition training, to become champions of nutrition in their local team. This will ultimately improve patient care directly through their changed practice, the greater focus in the team working with them, and reduce the pressure of inappropriate or unsupported referrals to dietitians. Alongside this we will continue to use our findings, experience and publications to advocate for change in medical student and doctor’s training to have adequate levels of nutrition training. We hope this will lead to greater focus on nutrition and lifestyle change to prevent and treat disease, supported by a trained healthcare workforce, working seamlessly between hospitals and the community. Timeline 2018 NEPHELP developed through MNI-ESPEN funded grant 2018-2019 Collected surveys of junior doctor’s and medical student’s opinions of their nutrition training, and subsequent confidence, analysing this and then publishing as a peer-reviewed paper 2019-2020 Developed content for a core nutrition for medical professionals’ workshop, running across England and adapting a set of resources from feedback 2020 – Present Adapted the material to an online virtual learning environment, targeting primary care doctors (GPs) Materials under feedback currently, if you are a GP interested in free nutrition training which you can help shape for future doctors register here Key outputs and documents Infographic: Time for Nutrition in Medical Education Paper: Time for Nutrition in Medical Education CN Article: Accelerating Nutrition Capacity Building for UK Doctors and Health Professionals Webinar: Nutrition in the treatment and rehabilitation of COVID-19 AIM Foundation Concept note Poster: Leading Change in Nutrition Education and Training Blog: A 13-year journey towards implementing improved medical nutrition education in the UK and beyond Video: MNI Grant Ceremony Nutrition Education Policy in Healthcare Practice (NEPHELP) Project Team & Global Advisory Panel Project Team Sumantra Ray Principal Investigator Kathy Martyn Principal Investigator Luke Buckner Deputy Principal Investigator *Elaine MacAninch Deputy Principal Investigator Breanna Lepre Deputy Principal Investigator Ebiambu Agwara Project Coordination Lead Wanja Nyaga Project Coordination Lead Matheus Abrantes Project Coordination Lead Pauline Douglas Key Advisor Minha Rajput-Ray Key Advisor Shivani Bhat Key Advisor Halima Jama Key Advisor *Currently on leave of absence. Global Advisory Panel

The Nutrition Implementation Coalition The Nutrition Implementation Coalition (NIC) is a collaborative group established in 2019 by NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, Nutritank, ERimNN and Culinary Medicine UK. The coalition brings together organisations with a variety of educational, professional and research experiences, who share the same vision regarding the need to advocate for nutrition education for healthcare professionals and bridge the gap between knowledge and practice to improve the ability of doctors, nurses, health, and social care professionals to deliver effective nutrition care. “We believe better nutrition educated health and social care workforce improves patient outcomes and holds benefit for population health.“ We combine our efforts, passion, and expertise to: Research and develop strategies and resources to improve nutrition education for all health care professionals. Influence stakeholders to implement evidence-based nutrition care in training to increase the nutrition capacity of the medical, health and social care workforce. aims We aim to achieve ‘Our dream of the future' through the following objectives: Increase focus on nutrition education in healthcare curricula Ensure assessment to reach a minimum standard of nutrition knowledge and practice Support curricula developers with advice and resources where needed coalition infographic RESOURCES Infographic: Time for Nutrition in Medical Education Paper: Time for Nutrition in Medical Education CN Article: Accelerating Nutrition Capacity Building for UK Doctors and Health Professionals Presentation: The Nutrition Implementation Coalition Useful Educational Resources Blog: A 13-year journey towards implementing improved medical nutrition education in the UK and beyond Note: Whilst NNEdPro works and collaborates on projects with each of the coalition organisations around the topics of nutrition and health as well as related educational pieces, we are not involved in the review of content for each organisation and their outputs except for where it is stated. As such, we continue to be proud of the work we are completing together but cannot endorse the accuracy or quality of all outputs or statements from individual organisations outside of explicitly stated collaborative projects. steering committee Kathy Martyn Principal Advisor Luke Buckner Principal Advisor Sumantra Ray Co-Convenor Ebiambu Agwara Co-Convenor Wanja Nyaga Co-ordination Matheus Abrantes Co-ordination Iain Broadley Nutritank Vince Kelly Culinary Medicine UK *Elaine MacAninch ERimNN & CMUK *Currently on leave of absence. Organisation Representatives Ally Jaffee Nutritank Breanna Lepre NNEdPro Juliet Burridge Nutritank Abhinav Bhansali Culinary Medicine UK Sumi Baruah Culinary Medicine UK Rupy Aujla Culinary Medicine UK Pauline Douglas NNEdPro Minha Rajput-Ray NNEdPro Shivani Bhat NNEdPro

members Navigation Presidential Officers Board of Directors Operations Volunteers Interns International Virtual Core International Collaborators Regional Networks Academy (IANE) Network Ambassadors Network Alumni Network Interdisciplinary Project Teams Advisory & Steering Committees Special Interest Groups Members Index Projects, Operations & Strategy Team (POST) Directorial Members Prof Sumantra Ray Founding Chair, Chief Scientist & Executive Director Prof Pauline Douglas Vice Chair, Chief Educationist & Operations Director Dr Kathy Martyn Full Director (Academic) Matheus Abrantes Chief Operations Officer | Full Director (Operations & Enterprise) Sucheta Mitra Deputy COO & Associate Director (Operations & Academic) ***Dr Marjorie Lima do Vale Associate Director (Academic) Dr Samyyia Ashraf Associate Director (Enterprise) Senior Officers Debashis Chakraborty Senior Operations Officer Dr Jenneffer Braga Senior Academic Officer Dr Ramya Rajaram Senior Academic Officer Sarah Anderson Senior Operations & Enterprise Officer Sarah Armes Senior Academic Officer Officers Francesco Giurdanella Executive Officer (Office Admin, Partnerships & Enterprise) **Harmanpreet Kaur Operations & Academic Officer associate Officers Asim Manna Associate Academic & Operations Officer Gerald Cheruiyot Associate Academic & Operations Officer | BMJ NPH Social Media Editor Dr Halima Jama Associate Academic Officer Priyanka Kotak Associate Academic Officer Rauf Khalid Associate Operations Officer assistant Officers Ankita Ghosh Assistant Project Officer Professional Placements Andrew Lang Professional Placement Daniel Dayen Professional Placement Neda Sedora-Roman Professional Placement Raana Iqbal_edited Professional Placement *PhD Studentship **From May 24, 2024, Harmanpreet has successfully taken on a substantive role at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and continues to collaborate with NNEdPro in a voluntary officer role. ***Currently on leave of absence post ADMIN SUPPORT admin.support@nnedpro.org.uk POST External Contractors Panel