Sustainable Food Systems Primer for RDNs and NDTRs

This primer was created to answer the question, “What should a practitioner of nutrition and dietetics know about sustainable food systems?” The need for an introductory resource in a modular format for practitioners and students was identified by the Sustainable Food Systems Curriculum Working Group, which was convened by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation’s Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Fellow.

This resource was not designed to provide a definitive answer to questions at the intersection of nutrition and sustainability; it was designed to provide foundational knowledge, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills so that learners are equipped to bring their nutrition expertise to the evolving dialogue on sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems.

This resource is suitable for both credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners (RDNs and NDTRs) and for students and interns. Outside of dietetics, it may also be of interest to students and practitioners in food systems, nutrition, and public health more broadly.

There are many ways to engage with this resource, depending on your interest and time available. If you are new to the topic, viewing the pre-recorded videos and slides (7 modules totaling 2 hours of content) will provide a high-level overview. Each module can stand alone–they range from 10 to 20 minutes—though we encourage you to view them in order as they build towards a more complete understanding of sustainable food systems.

If you are looking for more depth, the handout provides a transcript, references, and additional resources. Supplement 1, an educators’ guide, provides a listing of relevant ACEND® competencies and sample discussion questions for each module. Supplement 2 provides further examples for the Individual plus Policy, Systems, and Environment (I+PSE) Conceptual Framework for Action that is presented in the primer. The modular format of the primer lends itself to integration in a variety of educational settings.