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Integrating sustainability into the multi-criteria assessment of urban dietary patterns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2020

Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque Open the ORCID record for Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque [Opens in a new window] ,
Ola Abdullateef ,
Loreto Fenollosa ,
Javier Ribal Open the ORCID record for Javier Ribal [Opens in a new window] ,
Neus Sanjuan Open the ORCID record for Neus Sanjuan [Opens in a new window]  and
Jose Miguel Soriano
Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Ola Abdullateef
Affiliation:
Fayoum University, Cairo, Egypt
Loreto Fenollosa
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Javier Ribal
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Neus Sanjuan
Affiliation:
Department of Food Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Jose Miguel Soriano
Affiliation:
Food & Health Lab, Institute of Materials Science, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
*
Author for correspondence: Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque, E-mail: jmgarcia@upvnet.upv.es
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Abstract

This study develops a decision-making procedure to help policymakers compare alternative patterns for sustainable diets by reaching a compromise among three criteria: socio-economic perspective, health and environment (including carbon and water footprints). An Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was performed in several stages. First, a total of 25 stakeholders (members of organizations on the Valencia Food Policy Council) evaluated criteria that are relevant to the sustainability of diets. Secondly, a workshop with 14 experts from different backgrounds evaluated by consensus four dietary alternatives: Mediterranean, flexitarian, pescatarian and vegan. In terms of environment, experts gave priority to the vegan diet. However, the Mediterranean diet pattern (MDP) appeared, according to the process, as the most suitable pattern from the holistic perspective that integrates all relevant criteria. The MDP was ranked first in terms of the health criterion and the socio-economic perspective. These include culture, affordability, social impact and local production as decision elements that food policy advisory bodies take into consideration to define sustainable diets.

Keywords

Analytic hierarchy processdietary patternfood policyMediterranean dietsocio-economic perspectivesustainabilityQ18I18Q58
Type
Research Paper
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , pp. 69 - 76
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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