(P05-09-26) Bridging Educational Gaps to Embed Food Quality and Planetary Health in Global Nutrition Practice

Objectives: As global food systems grapple with impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation on food quality, there is a need to equip nutrition professionals with knowledge and tools to promote human and planetary health. This study aims to identify educational gaps and opportunities to strengthen integration of these concepts into global nutrition practice by assessing current knowledge, perceptions, and needs of registered dietitians and nutritionists.

Methods: A convenience sample of nutrition professionals (n=329) completed a globally distributed online survey to evaluate current integration of food quality, sustainable food systems, and planetary health in their roles, barriers to integration, and emerging educational needs. Survey responses were summarized using descriptive statistics. A smaller subset of participants (n=17) then engaged in one of five focus groups intended to build on survey insights and document applied examples to inform priorities for developing education that aligns with identified needs.

Results: Nutrition professionals surveyed were primarily dietitians (42.8%) and nutritionists (24.9%) practicing in North America (46.1%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (30.2%). Most respondents agreed (43%) or strongly agreed (36%) that they are currently integrating sustainable diets into professional practice. Participants in the focus groups indicated that there is a strong desire for training that bridges global frameworks with local needs, case studies grounded in real-world context, and resources that center non-Western perspectives to bridge these gaps. The need for actionable tools and context-specific strategies along with lack of culturally inclusive educational resources were the most frequently noted barriers to integrating food quality and planetary health into practice.

Conclusions: Among global nutrition professionals in this study, integration of sustainable diets is hindered by key barriers including lack of context-specific tools and training, underscoring the need for targeted education to advance planetary. Curricula designed to address these gaps are required to strengthen professional capacity for operationalizing these concepts across practice settings.

Funding Sources: This project was funded by the Fourfold Foundation.