Food and agriculture sectors are not adequately represented at UN health summit, says report

The agriculture and food sectors have a vital role in halting the rise in disease related to bad diet but are barely represented at this week’s UN conference on non-communicable diseases, warns the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in its report on the links between people’s health and what they eat.

“Recent trends in food production, processing, trade, marketing and retailing contribute to the rising occurrence of diet-related NCDs [non-communicable diseases],” warns the independent think tank on international affairs. “People around the world are consuming more calories but their health is worsening.”

As agriculture and food production and distribution have increasingly become globalised, the variety …