healthy nutrition and sustainable food production · healthy nutrition and sustainable food...

Healthy Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production

National Research Programme NRP 69

Implementation Plan

Contents

Executive Summary 5

1. Introduction 6

1.1 Background 6

1.2 Definitions 7

1.3 Mandate 9

1.4 Theresearchfieldonthenationalandinternationallevels 10

2. Goals of the research programme 11

3. Main research topics 13

Module1:Examiningandinfluencingconsumerbehaviorsand nutritionpatternsinSwitzerland 13

Module2:Evaluatingthesustainabilityoffoodandnutritionsystems 14

Module3:Optimisationoffoodandnutritionsystems 15

Module4:Synthesis 16

4. Practicalsignificanceandtargetaudience 17

5. Programme schedule 19

6. Submission procedure and project selection 19

6.1 Pre-proposals 20

6.2 Fullproposals 21

6.3 Selectioncriteria 21

6.4 Scheduleandbudget 21

6.5 Contactinformation 22

7. Organisation 23

Appendix 24Swiss National Science Foundation Wildhainweg3 P.O.Box8232 CH–3001Berne

Telephone+41(0)313082222 Facsimile+41(0)313052970

[email protected]

www.snf.ch www.nrp69.ch

©April2012,SwissNationalScienceFoundation,Berne

ImplementationPlanNRP69"HealthyNutrition"|5

What are National Research Programmes (NRP)?

TheresearchcarriedoutbyNationalResearchProgrammesconsistsof targetedre-searchthatcontributes to thesolutionofcontemporaryproblemsofnational impor-tance.UndertheprovisionsofArticle6,paragraph2,oftheFederalActonResearchof7October1983(asof1March2010)theFederalCouncilselectsthetopicsandfocitoberesearchedinNRPsandmandatesfullresponsibilityforimplementingtheprogram-mestotheSwissNationalScienceFoundation(SNSF,DivisionIV).

Article4oftheFederalOrdinanceontheFederalActonResearchof10June1985(asof1January2009)describesthepurposesandcontentsofNRPsasfollows:

"1 National Research Programmes are a means to direct and support coordinated research projects that have a common goal. Where needed, National Research Programmes should strengthen scientific research capacities.

2 Topics of research are generally appropriate for National Research Programmes if:

a. scientific research on the problem is of national importance;

b. Swiss research can make a significant contribution to the resolution of the problem;

c. solutions require research contributions from multiple disciplines;

d. the research goals cannot be met exclusively through basic research, through research within a specific section of the administration, or through industrial applications re-search;

e. research on the problem can be expected to produce research results that have practical applications within a five-year time period.

3 The following criteria should be taken into consideration in setting forth the topics of National Research Programmes:

a. the programmes can provide the scientific basis for decision-making by government and the administration;

b. the programmes can be conducted with international collaboration and are also of great interest to Switzerland.“

Executive Summary

Providingastablesupplyofhealthy(andhighquality)foodataffordablepricesisne-cessarybothforthehealthandthesocialandeconomicstabilityofasociety.However,inorder toensuresufficientproductionpotential in the long term, theprinciplesofsustainabilitymustbeappliedconsistentlythroughouttheproduction,processinganddistributionof food.The rise indiet-related illnesses,whichaccount for almost onethirdofthediseaseburdeninSwitzerland,presentsanothersignificantchallengeforoursociety.Thisunderlinestheimportanceofthelinksbetweensustainablefoodpro-duction,nutritionandsustainableeatinghabits.Sustainableconsumerbehaviourandeatinghabitsmeanchoosingandconsumingfoodthat isproducedthroughenviron-mentallyfriendly,resource-efficientandsociallyacceptablemethodsandthatcontri-butestoindividualhealthandwell-being.

ThisraisesthequestionofwhatanoptimalfoodandnutritionsysteminSwitzerlandshouldlooklikeinthefutureandhowweshouldchangeoureatinghabitsinordertooptimisetheecological,economicandsocialeffectsinthelongtermandimprovethehealthoutcomes.

ThemaingoalsoftheNationalResearchProgramme"HealthyNutritionandSustai-nableFoodProduction"(NRP69)aretoprovideapracticalbaseofknowledgeabouthowhealthyeatingcanbeencouraged inSwitzerlandandhowenoughhighquality,safefoodproductscanbemadeavailableataffordablepricesandwiththemosteffici-entresourcemanagementandleastenvironmentalimpactpossible.TheconclusionsofthisNRPwillthuscontributetocurrentandupcomingreformprocessesintheSwissagriculturalandnutritionsectors.

The inter-and transdisciplinaritywithin the fundedprojects/topics isofkey impor-tanceforthesuccessofKnowledgeandTechnologyExchange,especiallywhenhealthynutritionandthechangeofeatinghabitsareaddressed.

TheNRP69willoperatewithanoverallfundingofCHF13millionforadurationof5years.Additionally,amaximumofCHF4milliontobesharedbetweenNRP69andNRP68"SustainableUseofSoilResources"willbeavailableforprojectsparticipatingintheEuropeanJointProgrammingInitiatives (JPI)suchas "AHealthyDiet foraHealthyLife".

TheNRP69willoperateasacooperationbetweentheSwissNationalScienceFounda-tion(SNSF)andtheCommissionforTechnologyandInnovation(KTI-CTI).

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1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Oneofthegreatestglobalchallengesofthe21stcenturywillbesatisfyingthedemandforfood–increasingbecauseofpopulationgrowth,risingincomesandchangingeatinghabits–asavailableresourcessuchas land,energyandwaterbecomescarce,whileminimising thenegativeeffects (greenhousegasemissions,waterandsoilpollution,soildegradation,lossofbiodiversity,etc.)offoodproduction(includingprocessing,sto-rage,transport,distribution,preparationandconsumption)ontheenvironment(FAO,2009).1Providinganadequatesupplyofsafe,highqualityfoodataffordablepricesisanabsolutenecessityforthehealthandthesocialandeconomicstabilityofasociety.ThisprinciplealsoringstrueforSwitzerland.

Longcharacterisedbyoverproductionandfallingorstagnatingpricesinprimarypro-duction, thefoodindustryhas inrecentyearsexperiencedamarkedincreaseinthedemand for food,accompaniedby risingglobalmarketprices forproducts likemilkpowder,corn,rice,wheatandsoy.This,inturn,hassparkedinterestinprimaryproduc-tionandthefoodindustryworldwide.

Theriseindiet-relatedillnessespresentsanothersignificantchallenge.Non-infectiousillnessesinwhichdietcombinedwithinadequatephysicalactivityplayanimportantroleareresponsibleforalmost60%ofyearlydeathsand47%oftheglobaldiseasebur-den.AccordingtoestimatesbytheFederalOfficeofPublicHealth(FOPH),justunderonethirdofhealthcarecostsinSwitzerland,thatmeansuptoCHF20mia.,arecausedbydiet-relatedillnesses.AlthoughalargemajorityoftheSwisspopulationunderstandstheconnectionbetweendietandhealthandisknowledgeableaboutnutrition,almostonethirdofthepopulation,bytheirownadmission,claimnottopayanyspecialatten-tiontotheirdiet.Comparedwithdatafrom10yearsago,theeatinghabitsoftheSwisspopulationhavedeteriorated.Amongschoolchildren,acleartrendhasevenemergedawayfromsharedmealsatthediningroomtableandtowardanincreasedintakeofhigh-energysnacks.Further,thenutritionalenvironmenthaschanged.Processedfoodwithhighcontents inenergy,fat,sugarandsalthasgainedimportanceandiseasilyavailableatanytimeoftheday.ThisresultsinalargenumberofoverweightpeopleinSwitzerlandandanincreaseindietrelatedillnesseslikediabetesandcoronaryheartdisease.

Thisraisesthefollowingquestions:

__ HowcanhealthyeatingbeencouragedinSwitzerlandandenoughhealthyandsafefoodproductsbemadeavailableataffordablepricesandwiththemostefficientre-sourcemanagementandleastenvironmentalimpactpossible?

__ Howcantheprinciplesofsustainabilitybeappliedmoreconsistentlythroughouttheproduction,processinganddistributionoffoodproducts,abasicprerequisiteforgua-ranteeingsufficientproductionpotentialandincreasedhealthinthelongterm?

Thismakesthelinksbetweensustainablefoodproduction,nutritionandsustainableeatinghabitsevenmoreimportant.Sustainableconsumerbehaviourandeatinghabitsmeanchoosingandconsumingfoodthatisproducedthroughenvironmentallyfriendly,resource-efficientandsociallyacceptableproductionmethodsandcontributestoindi-

1FAO,2009"HowtoFeedtheWorldin2050"http://www.fao.org/wsfs/forum2050/wsfs-background-documents/hlef-issues-briefs/en/

vidualhealthandwell-being.Butitalsomeansintroducingstructuralmeasurestohelpfavourhealthyeatinghabits(seeglossaryintheappendix).

Alongwith these long-termaspects, the current and short-termpolitical challengesfacingtheprimaryproduction,manufacturingandretailsectorsmustbekeptinmind.SuchfactorsincludeapotentialfreetradeagreementwiththeEUintheagriculturaland foodsectors,developments in theDohaRoundand increasing interdependencewithglobalmarkets.Inordertobeabletoguaranteeasupplyofhealthyfoodproductsin the longterm, thedomesticagricultureandnutritionsectorsmustalsoremainorbecomemorecompetitiveintheshortandmediumterm.Inthisrespect,theapplicationofsustainabilityprinciplesaswellasthequalityandsafetyofthefoodproducedplayaprominentrole.FoodproducedinSwitzerlandonlyremainscompetitiveandattractivewhenitsproductionandproductquality,mostimportantitsnutritionalquality,issupe-riortothatofforeign-producedgoods.Becauseofthis,stakeholdersallalongthepro-ductionandvaluechainsareconvincedthattheagriculturalandnutritionsectorsmustfocusonaqualitystrategyinthefuture.Thelargenumberofparliamentaryinitiativesonthetopicsofnutritionandsustainablefoodproductionshowsthatthesetopicsareahighpriorityonthepoliticallevel,aswell.Initsreport"Foodcrisis,rawmaterialandresourcescarcity"(reportinresponsetotheStadlerPostulate),theFederalCouncilsta-tedthatalong-termstrategyforeconomicsupplywasbasedonoptimisingproductionandefficientuseofavailablerawmaterialsandresources,bothinanationalandinter-nationalrespect.InthiscontextitisimportanttoconsiderthestrategyforbiodiversityinSwitzerland(SBS)whichiscurrentlybeingelaborated.2Itwilldescribetheaimsandareaswheresustainableuseofbiodiversitycanpursued.

Withinthiscontext, thegoalof theresearchprogramme"HealthyNutritionandSu-stainableFoodProduction"istodeveloppossibleapproaches,strategies,methodsandmeasuresforpromotingsustainablefoodandnutritionsystemsandhealthynutrition.

1.2 Definitions

InthecontextofthisImplementationPlanthefollowingdefinitionsarevalid:

Healthy NutritionHealthynutritionmeanstheintakeoffoodsanddrinks,andtheirnutrientsandotherconstituentsinrelationtothebody’sneedsandpositivehumanhealthoutcomes,takingintoaccountinteractionswithinandbetweenallrelevantbiological,socialandenvi-ronmentalsystems.Healthynutritionintegrates‘sustainableeatinghabits’,thatisthechoiceoffoodproductsthatprovide,asanadequate,wellbalanceddiet,positivehealthoutcomesandoriginatefromsustainablefoodandnutritionsystems.

Sustainable Food and Nutrition SystemAFoodandNutritionSystemisasetofoperationsandprocessesinvolvedintransform-ingrawmaterialsintofoodsandtransformingnutrientsintohealthoutcomes(Figure1),allofwhichfunctionsasasystemwithinbiophysicalandsocio-culturalcontexts(Fi-gure2).3ASustainableFoodandNutritionSystemproducespositivehealthoutcomesinaneconomicallyattractive,environmentallyfriendlyandsociallyacceptablemanner.

2http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/10372/10395/index.html3JeffereySobal,LauraKettelKhanandCaroleBisogni1998.AConceptualModeloftheFoodandNutritionSystem.Soc.Sci.Med.Vol.47,No.7,pp.853-863


Sustainable DevelopmentTheunderstandingof sustainabilityofNRP69 is informedby theFederalCouncil‘s"Strategyforsustainabledevelopment"which,intunewiththeacceptedUNdefiniti-on,statesthatsustainabilityisachievediftheneedsofthepresentgenerationaremetwithoutnegativelyinfluencingthepossibilitiesoffuturegenerationswishingtomeettheirneeds.Sustainabilityisunderstoodtobeanoverarchingideaandnotasectorialconcern.Lookingtothefuture,it istoinformallfieldsofpoliticsincludingfoodandnutrition.

Fig. 1: The integrated model of the food and nutrition system uses a systems perspective to present relationships between agriculture, food, eating and health. The core of the model emphasises a linear flow, into the subsequent one. The linear flow components of the system include three subsystems: producers, consumers and nutrition.

Fig. 2: The food and nutrition system operates within a context consisting of other systems that can be differentiated into biophysical and social environments. Feedback loops and webs of relationships operate within the system and between the food and nutrition system and the systems that make up its environment.

Furtherhelpfuldefinitionscanbefoundintheappendix.

1.3 Mandate

On30March2011, theSwissFederalCouncilmandatedtheSwissNationalScienceFoundation(SNSF)tolaunchNRP69.TheNationalResearchCounciloftheSNSFelec-tedanadhocexpert.Thisexpert,incollaborationwiththeResearchCouncilandthesecretariatoftheSNSF,organizedahearingcomprisingspecialistsfromSwitzerlandandabroadrepresentingdisciplinesjudgedtobeofrelevancetothethematicscopeoftheprogramme.ThisinternationalpanelcriticallychallengedtheprogrammeoutlineforNRP69.Basedontheoutcomeofthehearingtheformandthecontentofthepro-grammewererefinedandrefocusedasdescribed in the implementationplanof theNRP.AsteeringcommitteetotakeoverthestrategicmanagementoftheNRPwillbeestablishedafterthecompletionandapprovaloftheimplementationplan.

TheNRP69willoperatewithanoverallfundingofCHF13millionforadurationof5years.Additionally,amaximumofCHF4milliontobesharedbetweenNRP69andNRP68"SustainableUseofSoilResources"willbeavailableforprojectsparticipatingintheEuropeanJointProgrammingInitiatives (JPI)suchas "AHealthyDiet foraHealthyLife"(JPI-HDHL).

The ImplementationPlanwas approvedby theHead of theFederalDepartment ofHomeAffairson9March2012.


1.4 The research field on the national and international levels

National:With the launchof the technologyplatform"Food forLifeSwitzerland",a"StrategicResearchAgenda"(definingthemainissuesandquestions)wasdevelopedfor thefood industryfor2009-2020.Withthehelpoffive linesofaction, theagendashowshowthesectorcangrowsustainablythankstocompetitivenessandconsumertrust.SwissFoodResearch (aCTI-supportedR&Dconsortium),which launched theplatform, isanactive intermediarybetweenresearchers,sponsorsandbusinesses.ItalsoaimstosupportappliedresearchfundedbyCTIandco-financedbycompanies,which requires the appropriate scientific groundwork.TheAgroscope researchpro-grammesNutriScope andProfiCrops help link national research institutions.Theseprogrammesaimtooptimisetheparameterscrucialforthequality,safetyandhealth-fulnessoffoodproducts.TheysearchforsolutionsastohowtheSwissagriculturalandnutritionsectorscanstandtheirgroundinaliberalisedmarketandhowtrustindome-sticproductscanbeincreased.Withintheframeworkofitsresearchfocus"WorldFoodSystems",theSwissFederalInstituteofTechnology(ETH)examinestheglobaldimen-sionofthethemespresentedinthisproposal.Inaddition,theETHandtheUniversityofZuricharecurrentlyworkingtosetuptheZurichObesityResearchCentre(ZORC).

TheNationalProgrammeonDietandPhysicalActivity2008-2012(NPDPA)wasad-optedbytheFederalCouncilin2008.Itisdesignedtoprovideahealthpromotingen-vironment/structureandtoencouragepeopletoadopthealthybehaviourintheareasofdietandphysicalactivitytopreventnon-communicablediseasesmoreefficiently.Itwilltherebyleadtoamoreeffectivecounteractionof,amongothers,overweight,obesityandeatingdisordersamongthepopulationingeneral,andespeciallyamongchildrenandyoungpeople.Among the5goalsof theprogramme thepromotionofbalanceddietsandthesetupofintegratedapproachestopromotehealthybodyweightarethekeygoalsinrelationtotheNRP69.Inordertobeabletofurtherdevelopexistingme-thods,supportinnovativeapproachesanddevelopnewmethods,theprogrammereliesonnationalandinternationalresearchfindings.

AnexpertgroupundertheguidanceofTheFederalOfficeforAgricultureandtheAg-riculturalResearchCouncil iscurrentlyfinalizingan integratednationalconcept forR&Din theagro-alimentarysector (ForschungskonzeptAgrar-undErnährungswirt-schaft2013-2016).Inthisveryusefuldocument,researchanddevelopmentactivities/strategies,complementaritiesandpotentialnewsynergies,institutionaltasksetc.willbecarefullyanalysed.

Inaddition,theresearchplanHealth(ForschungskonzeptGesundheit2013-2016)oftheFederalOfficeofPublicHealthandtheresearchconcept"Environment"(Forschung-skonzeptUmwelt2013-2016)of theFederalOfficeof theEnvironmentwilldescribethekeyresearchtopicsinthisareaforthecomingyears.BothdocumentswillsoonbepublishedandserveasanimportantbaseinthefieldofNRP69.

International: After studying ‘low input’ farming systems (QLIF) sseveral projectsdealingwithsustainability,nutritionandeatinghabitsarecurrentlyinprogresswithintheframeworkoftheEU’sSeventhFrameworkProgramme.Thefirstgrouprangesfromprojectsonmeasuresforencouragingsustainableconsumption(POPP)or ensuringbiodiversity(SCALES),theconnectionsbetweenglobalisation(GLOBIS)oreconomics(IN-STREAM)andsustainability,engagingthecivilianpopulationinthediscussiononsustainability(CSSandCSOCONTRIBUTION2SCP)toprojectsonnutritionalmodels(DREAM).TheEATWELLprojectinvestigatespromotinghealthyeatinghabits.Decla-rationanditseffectonconsumerbehaviourarebeingexploredintheFLABELproject.Severalprojectsarededicatedtoencouraginghealth-consciousbehaviour(TEMPEST,ENERGYandPAPA).FAHREmapstheEuropeanfoodandhealthresearchlandscape

andaimstoinvestigateonhowtoimproveitscoordinationinEurope4.AlsoworthyofnoticeistheprogrammeForesightUK5aswellasontheUNEPreportGreeneconomy6.

Alargenumberofmedicalprojectsareresearchingthedevelopmentofobesity.Inthefieldofnutrition,currentCOSTActionsincludeFeedforHealth(FA0802),MolecularFarming:PlantsasaProductionPlatformforHighValueProteins(FA0804)andBio-activeFoodComponents,MitochondrialFunctionandHealth(FA0602).Intheproject"TowardsaGreenerRetailSector",methodsforrecordingdataonsustainabledevelop-mentsintheretailsectorarebeingdeveloped.

Onagloballevel,aten-yearframeworkprogramme(TheMarrakechProcess)wassetupontheoccasionoftheWorldSummitonSustainableDevelopmentinJohannesburgin2002.Itsgoalistosupportenvironmentallyfriendlyandsociallyresponsiblemodelsofproductionandconsumption.

TheEuropeanTopicCentreonSustainableProductionandConsumptionisdevelopingreliableandcomparabledataandinformationonresourceandwastemanagement.

Thelargenumberofprojectsemphasisestheimportanceofthetopicsofsustainabilityandnutritiononboth thenational and international level.TheEuropean JointPro-grammingInitiative"AHealthyDietforaHealthyLife"(JPIHDHL)aimstoprovideaholisticapproach todevelopand implementa researchprogramme tounderstandtheinterplayoffactorsknowntodirectlyaffectdietrelateddiseases,discovernewre-levantfactors,mechanismsandstrategies,aswellastocontributetothedevelopmentofactions,concepts,policies,innovativeproductsanddiets,withtheaimofdrasticallyreducingtheburdenofdiet-relateddiseases.However,noneoftheprojectsfocusesonacomprehensiveviewoffoodandnutritionsystems,whichisthegoalofthisNRP.

NRP69isthefirstSwissNRPonHumanNutrition.Benchmarksforresearchinthisfieldaresetby the international foodresearchnetworke.g. inHolland,Finland,USandNewZealand.ThisNRPisachancetokeepupwiththesenetworksandadvancenationalresearchquestions,whiletopicsrequiringmulticenter-studies(e.g.infieldofdiet-relateddiseases) andwhichSwitzerland cannot answer in a solo effort, canbetackledincollaborationwiththem.

2. Goals of the research programme

ThisNRPaimstogenerateusefulandurgentlyneededcontributions(strategies,tools,methods,processes,products)inordertosupportthedevelopmentofsustainableea-tinghabitsandfoodandnutritionsystemsinSwitzerland.Theevidencebasedfindingsof thisNRPwill contribute to current andupcoming reformprocesses in theSwissagriculturalandnutritionsectors,particularlyinthecontextofamultifunctionalandcompetitiveagricultural industry,andin leadingtoamoreeffectivecounteractionofdietrelatedillnesseslikediabetesandcoronaryheartdisease.Thisnecessitatesasy-stematicanalysisofchallengesandcoursesofactionalongwithastrongerinter-andtransdisciplinaryapproachandmoreresearchcollaborationwithinthissectorthanhasbeen the caseuntilnow.By connectingdifferentdisciplines ranging from thenatu-ralandlifesciencestonutrition,epidemiology,medicine,engineeringsciences,social

4http://www2.spi.pt/fahre/library.asp5http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/our-work/projects/published-projects/ global-food-and-farming-futures

6http://www.unep.org/GreenEconomy/Portals/93/documents/Full_GER_screen.pdf


sciencesandhumanities,andbyincludingstakeholdersfromeconomics,government,politicsandsociety,thesystemscanbegraspedandresearchedasawhole.InordertoreachtheobjectivesofthisNRP,holistic,inter-andtransdisciplinaryapproacheswillberequired.

Withconsiderationofdomesticandinternationalresearchresultsaswellasspecificlocalrequirements,previousresearchendeavourswillbefurtherdevelopedinthefol-lowingdirections:

Healthy nutrition and sustainable eating habits:Basedonasystematicanalysisofthecurrentstateofknowledgeincludingdifferentdisciplines(nutrition,economy,be-havioural sciences), theNRPwill contribute to the assessment and development ofscenarios,conceptsandcoursesofactionaimedatsupportingsustainableconsumptionandeatinghabitsinSwitzerland.TheNRPwillprovidenewinsightintoeatinghabitsandthekeyfactorsthatinfluencethem.Furthermore,itwillprovideinformationabouthowconsumers’eatinghabitsintermsofchoosinghealthyfoodshouldlookandhowtheircurrentbehaviourandtheenvironmentcanbeinfluencedinapositiveway.Fac-torssuchassustainablyproducedfoodproducts,healthpromotingstructures,pricingandmarketingstrategiesaswellasthecommunicationandimplementationofnutritio-nalawareness,inadditiontotheeffectsofsocialchangeandresourcescarcity,willbeexamined.Aspecialemphasisshallbeputonnutritionpolicyinstruments,suchasin-formationtothegeneralpublicandandmeasuresthatresultinamarketintervention.

Sustainability:InSwitzerlandthereareseveralapproachestojudgingsustainability.TheFederalCouncil‘sStrategyforSustainableDevelopmentpresentsasystemofin-dicatorstobeusedbyfederal,cantonalandcommunalauthoritiesaswellasspecificassessment schemes for projects (sustainability assessment).Methods to assess su-stainabilityinagriculturearegenerallylimitedtoindividualfarms(e.g.RISE:Responseinducingsustainabilityevaluation)orfocusontheecobalanceofindividualproducts(e.g.SALCA:Swissagriculturallifecycleassessment).

Thepracticalapplicationofthesemethodshasshownwhichscientificandmethodo-logicalchallengesmustbeovercomeifsustainabilityasawholeistobegraspedandassessedmulti-dimensionally. Furthermore, sustainability management along entirevalue-addedchainsisanimportanttopicthatisrelevantforthefuturebutforwhichfewmethodsareavailabletoday.Byovercomingthesechallenges,Swissresearchcanoccupyagloballeadingpositioninsustainabilityanalysisintheagriculturalandnutri-tionsectors.ThisNRPwillcontributetoenhancingexistingassessmenttoolsandleadtoanoverallevaluationofsustainability.Inaddition,thedatafoundationwillbeexpan-dedandtherequirementsforfuturefoodandnutritionsystemsaswellasnecessaryindicatorsandstandardswillbedefined.Theobjectivity,valueandtransparencyofthemethodswilltherebybeenhanced.

Optimisedsystems:Basedonanassessmentoftheefficiencyofresourcemanagementintheproduction,processingandallocationofimportantfoodproducts,thisNRPwillcontributetoidentifyingcriticalprocessesandprocessstepsregardingsustainabilityandhealthoutcome.Itwillprovidealternativesformoreefficientresourcemanage-ment,forexample,reducedamagingeffectsontheenvironmentalongtheentirevalue-addedchain.Thus,intheprocess,notonlytheecologicaldimension,butalsotheecono-mic,socialandhealthdimensionsofsustainabilitywillbetakenintoaccount.

Synthesis:ThisNRPwillpresentpractical informationconcerninghowandtowhatextentthegeneraleconomicorlegalframeworkwouldhavetobeadjustedinordertopromotesustainableandhealthpromotingfoodandnutritionsystemsinSwitzerlandmorequickly,effectivelyandefficiently.TheNRPwillfurtherprovideinsightoneffici-entinformationandcommunicationwithregardtohealthynutrition,strengthenSwiss

research,andcontributetomaintainingandincreasingcompetitivenessintheagricul-turalandnutritionsectors.

Besidesdedicated research following thedefined focuspoints, an important task intheprojectsandinthesynthesismoduleofthisNRPisthecriticalscientificevaluationofnationalandinternationalknowledge(state-of-the-art)withrespecttonutritionalbehaviour,nutritionalenvironment(circumstances)andsustainabilityprincipleintheagriculturalandnutritionsectors.

Representativenationaldatasetsonnutritionalstatusandbehaviourandaccordingtointernationallyacceptedstandardsaretoalargeextentstilllacking(see5thSwissNu-tritionReport,SEB).However,SincetimeandmoneyavailableforthisNRParelimitedandsinceitisthetaskofspecificFederalOffices,theexclusivecollectionofnationalstatisticaldatawillnotbesupportedbytheNRP.as.Restrictedenlargementofthedatasets canonlybe funded in the contextof researchprojects addressingwelldefinedspecificquestions.

3. Main research topics

TheProgrammewillbestructuredinfourmodules,includingasynthesismodule.Theresearchmodules1,2and3intheprogrammeshouldbeoperatedinasynergisticwayandprofitfrominter-andtransdisciplinaryinteractions.thecooperationwith,andtheactiveparticipationintheSynthesisActivitiesshouldretainitsimportance(Module4).

Module 1: Examining and influencing consumer behaviors and nutrition patterns in Switzerland

Startingwithacriticalanalysisofpreviousresearchfindingsonthelinksbetweennu-tritionandhealth,themodulewillevaluatethesuitabilityofpotentialcoursesofactionforencouragingandsupportingsustainableeatinghabitsandhealthpromotingstruc-turalmeasures.

The impact of social settings and incentives on eating habits

__ Modellingofdecision-makingbehaviourinfoodchoices.

__ Identificationofhowthesocialsettinginfluenceseatinghabitsandfoodconsumptionandwhichfactorsleadtoachange;furtheridentificationoftheindividualandsocialconditionsthatleadtounhealthyeatinghabits(alsoincombinationwithotherim-portantlife-stylefactorssuchasexercise,smoking,alcoholconsumption).

__ Identificationoftheinfluenceofconsumerinformation,e.g.transparentnutritionallabelling,advertising/marketing,andhealthclaims,onconsumerbehaviourandeat-inghabits.

__ Investigationand/ormodelingoftheeffectofstructuralmeasures,e.g.freesaladbarwithmealsinrestaurants,reducedpriceforhealthydishes,reducedsaltcontentinfoods,etc.,oneatinghabits,foodconsumption,nutrientintakeandhealth.

The impact of environment/structure on eating habits and nutrition

__ Identificationoftheinfluenceofotherstructuralmeasures,e.g.changesinthefoodcomposition,availabilityofhealthy/unhealthyfood,taxingsystems,etc.,onconsumerbehaviourandeatinghabits.

Implementation Plan NRP 69 "Healthy Nutrition" | 1514 | Implementation Plan NRP 69 "Healthy Nutrition"

__ Development of tailored structural measures and incentives that successfully influ-ence eating habits and food consumption. Key among issues that need to be taken into consideration are overnutrition, undernutrition and malnutrition are key pro-blems to consider.

The effect of consumer knowledge and understanding regarding balanced diet, nutritional quality, production methods, processing methods and origin on food products

__ Determining the level of understanding in consumers with regard to healthy eating and developing new approaches and tools to improve this understanding and support consumers in eating a healthy and balanced diet.

__ Identifying of the connections between eating habits on the one hand and claims of product quality (including the sensory quality) and sustainable product production on the other hand.

__ Identifying consumers who know the consequences of their bad eating habits but nonetheless persist in their behaviour. Are there rules, mechanisms or factors that would explain this persistence over time?

Fundamentals, methodologies and tools for measuring and improving food choices and diet patterns

__ Development of new, innovative and cost-effective methods to assess eating habits and food consumption in the general population and in specific sup-groups (infants, children, very old age, etc.)

__ Development of new methods and tools helping consumers – general population and specific groups - to monitor food intake and to maintain or reduce body weight.

__ Development of methods for practical and tailored transfer of nutritional knowledge to the general population and specific groups.

__ Investigation of the Swiss population’s acceptance of using political measures to sup-port sustainable eating habits.

Healthy nutrition and future developments

__ Estimation of the effects of social change and resource scarcity on food choices and consumers’ eating habits. For the future, the healthy choice shall be the easy choice.

Module 2: Evaluating the sustainability of food and nutrition systems

In this module, existing methods for assessing sustainability will be further developed and the requirements for future nutritional systems as well as the necessary indicators and standards will be defined.

Definition of objectives

__ Definition of the desirable characteristics of sustainable food and nutrition systems as well as the required effect on the environment and society and the efficiency of resource management.

__ Development of indicators and standards for an objective and integrated assessment of the resource efficiency and social responsibility of manufacturing processes and feeding habits along the entire production and consumption chain.

Development of methods to determine sustainability

__ Further development of existing methods for assessing the significance of public goods and sustainability of manufacturing processes in the agricultural and nutrition sectors: integration of typically agricultural aspects like land use, biodiversity, biosa-fety, animal welfare, expansion of system boundaries.

__ Development of the methodology for a holistic assessment of sustainability, building on existing methods for ecological (LCA), economic, social and health aspects as well as their weighting. Not the methodology (as an academic tool) itself is the deliverable but its practical application to realistic food and nutrition systems! The methodology must be as complex as necessary and as simple as possible.

Completion of the data foundation for sustainability assessment

__ Definition and acquisition of the (missing) central data / parameters for a reliable evaluation of the sustainability of food and food systems.

__ Close the knowledge gaps on imported products and on variability and regional dif-ferences.

Assessment of the sustainability of current food and nutrition systems and their communi-cation

__ Evaluation of the sustainability of current food and nutrition systems and food prod-ucts and identification of strategies for an optimised structuring of value-added chains in Switzerland, taking future requirements into account.

__ Strategies for communicating the findings of sustainability analyses to the target groups of consumers, farmers, industry and administration and for transforming in-formation into concrete, practical recommendations for the retail market and for the optimisation of product information.

Module 3: Optimisation of food and nutrition systems

This module will identify alternatives for more efficient resource management and a reduction of negative effects on the environment, society and health. The vision is to make Switzerland a leading country for the development and production of high value-added and healthy food products as well as for food related services and technologies → Tasty, Healthy and Sustainable. Encourage innovative solutions for future application and secure the related intellectual property rights.

Increasing resource efficiency and avoiding negative effects on the environment along the value-added chain, including the recycling of by-products and waste

__ Optimisation of manufacturing processes and cost-saving potential by way of innova-tive technologies in raw materials, energy, water, emissions.

__ Optimization of harvesting and post-harvesting technologies, food processing tech-nologies and packaging as important aspects for sustainability and consumer per-ception.

__ Valorisation of the by-products and wastes of the agriculture and food industries.

__ Prevention of food losses along the entire value-added chain from the producers up to the consumers.


Innovative products on the cutting edge of knowledge on healthy nutrition and sustainable production that increase the competitiveness of the agricultural and nutrition sectors and improve the health outcomes of the food and nutrition system

__ Descriptionofnewintegratedapproachesforthesustainableproductionofrawma-terialsforfoodprocessing,distributionandsales.

__ Developmentoffoodproductsandstructuresforhealthyandsustainablenutrition–e.g.athome,attheworkplace,ontheroadandinthecommunalcateringandgas-tronomybusiness-especiallyinthecontextofobesityandmetabolicdisorders.

__ Runcarefully selectedepidemiological studies, aswell asphysiological,metabolic,andclinicalmeasurementsincludingomicstechnologiestotestthelongtermeffectsonhealthofnewproductsanddiets.

Optimize food based recommendations (in coordination with Module 4)

__ Adaptandoptimizenutrient-baseddietrecommendationsandinturndevelopenvi-ronmentallyacceptable,consumer-friendlyfood-baseddietrecommendationsforthegeneral population and specific sub-groups, e.g. children, immigrants, etc.Currentknowledgeof the targetedgroup (healthandenvironment literacy)mustbe takenintoaccount.

Investigation of goal conflicts

__ Theeffectsofresource-optimisedprocessesonthesensory,hygienicandnutritionalqualityaswellasonthepriceandcompetitivenessoffoodproducts.

Module 4: Synthesis

Thismoduleemphasisesaholistic,interdisciplinaryandtransdisciplinaryapproach.

Duetothecomplexityofthethematicadraftsynthesisshallbeelaboratedbythestee-ringcommitteeafterthelaunchoftheNRP.Thisdraftshoulddrawoncurrentknow-ledge inorder todemonstrate relevant researchgaps.Also, it shallhelp identify re-searchtopicstobetackledmoreefficiently incollaborationwiththeJPIHDHL(see1.4).

Thechosenapproachesforthefinalsynthesismusttaketheentirevalue-addedchainanditssocialsignificanceintoaccountandcontaintheelementsofresearch,develop-mentandimplementationinpractice.

TherewillbenocallforModule4atthelaunchoftheNRP.TheparticipantsintheSyn-thesisModulewillbeselectedbytheSteeringCommitteeoftheNRP69,basedontheexpertiseoftheprojectteamsinModules1,2and3.

Amongothers,thefinalsynthesisshallinclude:

(1) Nutrition,healthandpublicpolicy:analysisofthecurrentsituation(includingobe-sity,whyobesity),goals(politicalandculturalgoals),measures(likenutritionpolicyinstruments);

(2) Sustainablefoodandnutritionsystem.

Someaspectsofthesynthesisaredescribedbelow:

Models and scenarios for evaluating sustainable and healthy nutrition

__ Establishamulti-dimensionalSWOTanalysis(publichealth,societyandconsumer,national economy, environment (biodiversity, biosafety), agriculture, industry) as adecisionmakingtoolforthemodules2and3.

__ Development ofmodels to simulate and evaluate how the behaviour of the diffe-rentstakeholdersinfluencetheprocessesalongthewholevalue-addedchain.Thesemodelsandtheirevaluationshouldencouragethedevelopmentofalternativebeha-viours.

__ Modellingtheproductflow,value-addedandexternalitiesintheagriculturalandnu-tritionsectorsasabasisforsimulatingalternativescenariosconsistently.

Assessment of goal conflicts and recommendations for solutions

__ Identification,quantificationandconsiderationofgoalconflictsbetweensustainab-lefoodproduction,nutrition,economicefficiencyandcompetitivenessoftheSwissagricultureandnutritionsectorsandpresentationofalternativesforavoidingorre-solvinggoalconflicts.

Suggestion of courses of action to support sustainable, healthy nutrition

__ DevelopmentofrecommendationsonhowthesustainabilityoftheentirefoodandnutritionsystemcanbeoptimisedwithaviewtoincreasingmarketingopportunitiesforSwissproducts,improvinghealthoutcomesAndtheburdenontheenvironment.

__ Developmentofnewpoliticalandeconomicstrategies,conceptsandmeasurestosup-portsustainableeatinghabitsmoreefficientlyandeffectively.The(evidence-based)interrelationbetweennutrition,healthandtheenvironmentmustbyakeydecisionfactor.

4. Practical significance and target audience

ThisNRPisconsistentwiththeguidelinesoftheFederalCouncil(ReportinresponsetotheStadlerPostulate)andcontributestooptimisingandincreasingtheefficiencyofresourceandrawmaterialmanagement.Moreover,itaddressesreducingtheuseofcer-tainlimitedresourcesanddevelopingalternativetechnologies.TheproposedresearchtopicsarehighlysociallyandeconomicallyrelevantandhighlypracticalbecausetheNRPaimstosupplyabaseofknowledgethatcanbeeasily implementedtosupportthedevelopmentofhealthiernutrition,includinghealthiereatinghabits,andleadtoimprovedhealthoutcomesofthefoodandnutritionsystemsinSwitzerland.

TheNRPprovidesmethodsthatcanbeusedtoclearlyevaluatethesustainabilityoffoodandnutritionsystems.Withthehelpoftheseresults,theneedforactioncanbede-terminedanditcanbeshownhowfoodandnutritionsystemscanbeoptimisedduringthevalue-addedprocessinordertoincreasehumanhealthandtopreservetheenvi-ronmentandconserveresources,cultivatebiodiversityandminimisenegativeeffectsonsociety.Buildingonthisknowledge,theNRPcreatesincentivesandthenecessaryconditionsforthedevelopmentofinnovativeprocessesforproducingrawmaterialsforfoodandprocessingthemintohighquality,safefoodproductsthatfulfilclearly-defi-nedsustainabilitystandardsanddietrecommendations. Inaddition, theseprocessesaimtoincreasethecompetitivenessoftheSwissagriculturalandnutritionsectorsinanincreasinglycompetitivefieldandtoencourageconsumertrust.


ThisNRPprovidesguidanceformakingdecisionsaboutwhichincentivescanhelpturnthebehaviourofthepublicinthedirectionofmoresustainable,healthiernutrition.

TheNRPprovidesscenarioswithclearalternativesfordecision-makingandactionforquantitativelyestimatingtheprobableconsequencesofallcriteriadeclaredoragreeduponasrelevant.TheNRPprovidesclearandconsistentdocumentationofthisaspect.

TheNRPprovidesinformationontrade-offs(mediations,conflictofgoals,considera-tionsofcostandusefulness)betweentargetachievementandcompetinggoals.Italsoestablishesthebasisforbalancinginterestsincaseofaconflictofobjectives.

Besidesthegeneralpublic,whoaregenerallyinterestedinhighqualityandsafefoodandsensitisedtoquestionsofsustainabilityinfoodproduction,othertargetaudienceshaveaninterestinthisNRP’stopic:

__ Decisionmakers at the highest levels (federal and cantonal parliaments, govern-mentsandadministrations)are, forvariousreasons,concernedwithissuesaroundnutritionandsustainablefoodproduction.

__ Besidespublicauthorities,thefarmingandfarmingconsultingfields,theretailmar-ket, thenutritional consulting andpreventativemedicinefields, consumer organi-sationsandotheractorshaveaninterest inwell-foundedfoundationsfordecisionmaking.

__ Inaddition,industrieshaveaninterestinprovingandimprovingsustainabilitypreci-selyinagriculture-basedvalue-addedchainsduetothelackofknowledgeandprac-ticalmethodsintheseareas.

ThehealthynutritionrelatedpartsoftheNRP"HealthyNutritionandSustainableFoodProduction"(NRP69)areinpartbasedonthesituationanalysisgiveninthe"5thSwissNutritionReport 2005" (Fünfter SchweizerischerErnährungsbericht 2005, edited bytheSwissFederalOfficeforPublicHealth,ISBN3-905235-48-X)whichwascompiledby representatives of the relevant stakeholder groups (nutrition-related industries,consumers,federaloffices,researchinstitutesandhospitals).ThereportdescribesthenutritionalsituationinSwitzerlandandtherelatedhealthaspectswithaspecialfocusonchildrenandadolescents.The"6thSwissNutritionReport"willbepublishedinFall2012.Thisupdatewillfocusonthefourtopics:nutritionalrecommendations;nutritio-nalsituationinSwitzerland;interconnectionsbetweennutritionandhealth;measuresandtranslationalefforts.ItwillalsoserveasadecisionmakingtoolinNRP69.Further,theresearchplanHealth (ForschungskonzeptGesundheit2013–2016)of theFederalOfficeofPublicHealthdescribesresearchprioritiesinthisareaforthecomingyears.

Knowledgeand technology transfer (KTT) is aparticular concernof theNRP69. Itwillbeachievedbyanearlyinvolvementofstakeholderassociations(agriculture,foodindustry,trade,consumers)andtargetedcollaborationwiththeInnovationPromotionAgencyCTI.ThisensuresthatviewpointsoftheindustryareconsideredintherelevantaspectsofaresearchprojectandthatR&Dresultscanbeimplementedinthepracticalsphereinanappropriatelystaggeredway(push-pullapproach).

5. Programme schedule

NRP69willbecarriedoutasacooperationprogrammebetweentheSwissNationalScienceFoundationandtheInnovationPromotionAgencyCTI.DuringthetwostagesofNRP69, theresearchprojectswillbe fundedby theSNSF.Thefirststage, lastingthreeyears,willofferthepossibilityof"high-risk-high-rewardprojects".Atthesecondstage,tolastnolongerthantwoyears,SNSFwillfundwithpriorityprojectswithahighpotential for practical application (new products and processes, services, tools, etc.)developedwithinthemodulesandprojectshavingagoodchancetocontinueasaCTIproject.

AftertheconclusionofNRP69,theapplication-orientedprojectswithahighimple-mentationpotentialmayapplyforCTIfunding.ThetransferofaNRP69projecttoaCTIprojectcantakeplaceatanystageofNRP69,providedthatthetimeisrightfortheprojectinquestion.Seealso"projectpromotion"underwww.kti.admin.ch.

SwitzerlandisamemberoftheManagementBoardoftheJointProgrammingInitiative"AHealthyDietforaHealthyLife"(JPIHDHL).ThemainobjectivesandcoreresearchtopicsaretoasignificantextentcomplementarytothoseofthisNRP(see1.4).

According toexpert opinions, solvingof someofSwitzerland’sproblemcanonlybeac-complishedincooperationwithendeavourstosolvesimilarproblemsinothercoun-tries,bothinWesternandCentralEurope,andinmoreremotecountries..

NRP69researchersmayanswercallsfromtheJPIHDHL(orotherJPIs),providedthatthethematicoftheJPIcallfitswiththeoverallgoalsofNRP69.Specificfunding–amaximumofCHF4million tobesharedbetweenNRP69andNRP68"SustainableUseofSoilResources"-isavailabletosupportprojectswithSwisspartnerswithintheEuropeaninitiatives.Successfulparticipantswilladheretothegeneralrulesandgui-delinesofNRPsandofNRP69inparticular.ParticipationtotheJPIHDHLandotherJPIcallsandinitiativeswillbedecidedbytheResearchCouncilofDivisionIVoftheSNSF,ontherecommendationofthesteeringgroupoftheprogramme.

NRP69willbeimplementedintwophases.Aftertheinitial36months,projectfundingmaybecontinuedforamaximumof24months.Thissecondphasewillincludeconti-nuationofresearchactivitiesfocusingonspecifictopicsoftheNRP.Inaddition,duringthissecondphaseNRP69researchgroupsmayparticipatetoresearchinitiativesandcallswithintheJPIHDHL(orotherJPIs).SincethetimingbetweentheJPIsandNRP69isnotsynchronized,participationtoJPIcallsmayalsotakeplaceduringthefirstphaseofNRP69.

InformationonJPIHDHLandonfuturecallsforproposalsisavailableonthewebsiteofNRP69:www.nrp69.ch

6. Submission procedure and project selection

TheImplementationPlanaswellasforms,rulesofprocedureandinstructionsforthesubmissiononthemySNFportalcanbefoundonthefollowingwebsite:www.snf.ch.

Inordertoorganisetheprogrammeeffectivelyandtodefineappropriatepriorities,atwo-stagesubmissionprocedurehasbeensetup:pre-proposalsare tobesubmittedfirst,followedbyfullproposals.Boththepre-andthefullproposalsmustbewritteninEnglishforscreeningandevaluationbyagroupofrecognisedinternationalexperts.


Pre-andfullproposalshavetobesubmittedonlineonthemySNFportal.FortheuseofmySNFprioruser-registrationonthehomepageofwww.mysnf.chisrequired.Pre-viously opened user-accounts are still valid and provide unlimited access to all thefundinginstrumentsoftheSNSF.Tosubmitproposalsintime,anewuseraccounthastobeopenedtwoweeksbeforethesubmissiondateatthelatest.Thesubmissionofthedocumentsbypostaldeliveryisonlyacceptedinexceptionalcasesafterconsultationwiththeprogrammecoordinator.

TheproposedresearchprojectsarerequiredtofollowSNSFguidelinesandmustbelimitedtoaperiodofnomorethan36months.

Collaborationwithresearchgroups inothercountries isencouraged,pro¬vided thattheplannedcooperationa)bringssignificantaddedvaluewhichcouldnotbeachievedwithoutcross-bordercooperationorb)substantiallyenrichesSwissresearchinrespecttocontentormethodology.Decisionsonpossible (co-)financingof researchprojectsabroadwillbemadeonacase-by-casebasis.IntheframeworkofNRP69,theAustrianScienceFund(FWF)agreedtoparticipateinthe"leadagencyprocess".TheGermanRe¬searchFoundation(DFG)hasdecidednottoparticipateinNRP69.Jointprojectsmaybesubmittedasanapplicationpackagecomprisinganumberofsub-projects.Ho-wever,itisimperativethateachsubprojectbeevaluableasanindividualentity.

6.1 Pre-proposals

Interestedresearcherswillfirstsubmitapre-proposal.Deadlineforthesubmissionis28June2012.Thepre-proposalshouldgiveinformationonthefollowingissues:

DatatobeentereddirectlyonthemySNFportal:

__ Basicdataandabstract,

__ Nationalandinternationalco-operation,

__ Estimationoffinancialsupportrequiredforsalariesandrunningcosts(budget).

DocumentstobeuploadedinaPDFformat:

__ ResearchPlan

_⋅ Researchtopicandtargetoftheproject,

_⋅ Stateofresearch,

_⋅ Approachesandmethods,

_⋅ Timeframeandmilestones,

_⋅ Expecteduseandpossibleapplicationofresults;specificriskstobeconsidered,

_⋅ Listoffivepublicationsconsideredrelevantassteppingstonesfortheresearchen-visaged,

_⋅ Listofyourandyourteam‘sfivemostimportantpublicationsand/orpatents

__ ShortCurriculumVitaeofamaximumoftwoA4pagesperapplicant

TheResearchPlanmustbesubmittedusingthetemplatedocumentprovidedinthemySNFportal.TheprojectdescriptionmustbeinEnglishandthefinalPDFfileshouldnotexceedsixA4pages.

Thepre-proposalswillbesubjectedtointernationalscientificpeerreview.Aninterna-tionalreviewpanelwillselectwhichpre-proposalsshouldberecommendedforappro-valorrejectionbytheNationalResearchCouncil(DivisionIV;PresidingBoard).

6.2 Full proposals

Inthesecondstageofthesubmissionproceduretheauthorsoftheselectedpre-pro-posalswillbeinvitedtosubmitdetailedfullproposalsonlineontheportalmySNF(seeabove)correspondingtostandardSNSFrulesandguidelines.

Allfullproposalswillbesubjectedtointernationalpeerreviewandtheprincipalinve-sti-gatorswillbeinvitedtopresenttheirprojectstotheSteeringCommittee.Thispro-cedureallowstheSteeringCommitteetoqueryspecificpointsandaskdetailedquesti-ons.Fol-lowingthepresentations,theSteeringCommitteewillreconvenetoselecttheprojectstoberecommendedforapprovalorrejectionbytheNationalResearchCouncil(DivisionIV;PresidingBoard).

6.3 Selection criteria

Pre-andfullproposalswillbereviewedonthebasisofthefollowingcriteria:

__ Scientificqualityandoriginality:pre-andfullproposalsshouldfulfilinternationalstate-of-the-art criteriawith respect to scientificquality andoriginality aswell asmethodologicalstandards.Furthermoretheyhavetocontaininnovativecomponentsandtobeclearlydifferentfromrunningprojects.

__ FeasibilityandcompliancewiththegoalsoftheNRP69:proposalsshouldreflecttheprogramme‘sscientificobjectivesandcomplywithitsoverallframework.

__ Inter-andtransdisciplinarity:Inter-andtransdisciplinaryprojectsarestronglyen-couragedbyNRP69andwillbeevaluatedaccordingly.Disciplinaryprojectsarenotexcludediftheycomplywiththeprogramme’sgoals.

__ Applicationandimplementation:potentialforpracticalapplicationandimplemen-tationofresultsarekeyelementsofNationalResearchProgrammes.Projectsofhighpracticalrelevancearethereforegivenhighpriority.

__ Personnelandinfrastructure:Projectshavetobecarriedoutinasettingthatpro-videsadequateinfrastructureandpersonnel.

6.4 Schedule and budget

ThefollowingschedulehasbeensetforNRP69:

Call for pre-proposals 17 April 2012

Submission for pre-proposals 28 June 2012

Invitation to submit full proposals 1 November 2012

Submission of full proposals 4 February 2013

Final decision on full proposals 18 June 2013

Start of research 1 July 2013


NRP69willoperatewithanoverallfundingofCHF13million.Theprovisionalalloca-tionofthisfundingtodifferenttypesofactivitiesisasfollows.

Module 1: Examining eating habits ca. 4.0 Mio CHF

Module 2: Evaluating the sustainability of nutritional systems ca. 2.0 Mio CHF

Module 3: Optimisation of nutritional systems ca. 4.0 Mio CHF

Module 4: Synthesis ca. 1.5 Mio CHF

Implementation and administration ca. 1.5 Mio CHF

6.5 Contact information

Administrative information on form and content of grant proposals

MarjoryHunt,ProgrammeCoordinator

Tel.+41313082222 E-mail:[email protected]

Financial aspects

MarcelSchneider,HeadofFinancesofDivisionIV

Tel.+41313082105 E-mail:[email protected]

Technical help with mySNF and electronic submissions

Hotline:

Tel.+41313082299(Français) Tel.+41313082200(Deutsch) Tel.+41313082288(English)

E-mail:[email protected]

mySNFHomepage:www.mysnf.ch

7. Organisation

Panel/ Steering Committee of the Programme

President

Prof.FredPaccaud,Director,Institutuniversitairedemédecinesocialeetpréventive,UniversityHospitalofLausanne/CHUV

Members

N.N.

Delegate of the National Research Council of Division IV

Prof.StephanieHellweg,InstituteofEnvironmentalEngineering,ETHZ

Programme Coordinator

MarjoryHunt,PhD,SNSF,Berne

Head of Knowledge and Technology Transfer

N.N.

Representatives of the Swiss Federal Administration

Dr.UrsGantner,LeiterFachbereichForschungundBeratung,Bundesamt fürLand-wirtschaft(BLW),Berne

Dr.MichaelBeer,LeiterAbteilungLebensmittelsicherheit,BundesamtfürGesundheit(BAG),Berne

For the State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER)

Dr.ClaudineDolt,SER,Berne

24|ImplementationPlanNRP69"HealthyNutrition"

Appendix

FurtherDefinitions

Nutrition

AccordingtoWHONutritionistheintakeoffood,consideredinrelationtothebody’sdietaryneeds.Goodnutrition–anadequate,wellbalanceddietcombinedwithregularphysicalactivity–isacornerstoneofgoodhealth.Poornutritioncanleadtoreducedimmunity, increasedsusceptibilitytodisease, impairedphysicalandmentaldevelop-ment,andreducedproductivity.7

Nutrition Science

TheGiessenDeclarationdefinesNutritionScienceasthestudyoffoodsystems,foodsanddrinks,andtheirnutrientsandotherconstituents;andoftheirinteractionswithinandbetweenallrelevantbiological,socialandenvironmentalsystems.8

What Is an Evidence-Based Approach?

Simplyput,anEBAistheprocessofsystematicallyreviewing,summarizing,andas-sessingthequalityofthepublishedresearchinaspecifictopicarea.Theentireprocessisdocumented,transparent,andreproducible(U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanSer-vices,2002).Anotherprofessionaladdressingthesameresearchquestionusingthesamemethodshouldbeabletoreplicatetheanalysisandarriveatthesameanswer.9

7http://www.who.int/topics/nutrition/en/8http://www.iuns.org/features/05-09%20NNS%20Declaration.pdf9http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/NutritionInsights/Insight38.pdf