Abstract
No one would dispute that agricultural systems and food diets are not sustainable from an environmental and health point of view, and that increasing their sustainability must be a major objective of farm and food policies. Simultaneously, climatic, environmental, and health shocks are likely to increase in the coming years. This note defends the idea of an additional double benefit of public policies, aiming at favoring environmentally friendly food systems and healthy diets through two channels: by reducing the risks of developing shocks and by limiting their negative impacts on populations when they occur. As a result, public policies should address, simultaneously and consistently, supply and demand issues. This is illustrated in the case of the European Union. Supply measures should favor the agro-ecological transition of agricultural systems through a more rigorous application of the polluter pays principle, implying notably the taxation of the main determinants of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (cattle heads and nitrogen fertilizers) and biodiversity loss (mineral fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and antibiotic treatments). This would send the right signals to farmers and would legitimize an extended use of the provider gets principle, allowing the remuneration of positive externalities. Demand measures should favor the adoption of healthier and environmentally friendly food diets by changing consumer behaviors through dietary recommendations, information campaigns, nutritional labeling, and fiscal instruments.
Highlights
Several holistic and interdisciplinary approaches have been proposed to promote the underlying assumption of humans and animals sharing the same environmental and health challenges
COVID-19 pamnedaseumreiscthiant sthhoeuEldUbeaims palecmasenetsedtufodryp.roImnoStiencgttihoenag2r,ow-eceolfiorgsicttrraencsaitlilotnhoef flairnmkinsgbpertawctieceesn agricultural practices, ecosystem health, and the risks of zoonotic diseases; we focus on policy measures that should be implemented for promoting the agro-ecologic transition of farming practices and systems
The Green Deal initiative launched by the new European Commission (EC) presidency in December 2019 is an opportunity to seize in that perspective [9]
Summary
Several holistic and interdisciplinary approaches have been proposed to promote the underlying assumption of humans and animals sharing the same environmental and health challenges. The Planetary Health concept focuses on mitigating and responding to threats to human health, equity, and well-being through judicious attention to the human and the natural systems that define the safe environmental limits, within which humanity can flourish [3] Beyond their differences [4], the common feature of the three concepts is to put forward the need to develop holistic approaches aiming at understanding risks for ecosystem, animal (domestic and wildlife), and human health as a whole [5]. The COVID-19 crisis illustrates the relevance of this approach Interactions between these three components have had impacts on the diffusion of the pathoSguestnainaabinlitdy 20i2t0s, 12s,px FiOllRoPvEeERrRtEoVIEhWumans [6,7], leading to serious health, socia2l,ofa13nd economic consequenceasttwenotirolndtwo tihdeeh.uman and the natural systems that define the safe environmental limits, within Similar wcrhiiscehshuamreanliitkyecalyn ftlooumrisuh l[3t]i.ply in the coming years as the degradation of ecosystem health, coupled with theBegyloonbdathlieziradtiifofenreoncfeesc[4o],nthoemcoimesmaonndfeactulirme oafttheecthhraene cgoen,ceinptcsries atospeusttfhorewrairsdkthseonfeeedpidemics and to develop holistic approaches aiming at understanding risks for ecosystem, animal (domestic and their evolutiownildilnifteo), panadnhduemmanichsea[l8th]. The Green Deal initiative launched by the new European Commission (EC) presidency in December 2019 is an opportunity to seize in that perspective [9]
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