Competency building in Nutrition in the context of Sustainable Food Systems

Abstract

The current discussion on the impacts of food systems on human and environmental health highlights the importance of training professionals who can work on the development of the future agenda that can incorporate the complexities of nutrition into policies, research, and the rendering of services relevant to the community. This paper presents the conclusions reached at a Brazilian event in 2018 that brought together specialists on the subject, namely students and qualified specialists in nutrition committed to understanding and identifying aspects of the training that limit professional performance. Necessary requirements were identified for the development of the workforce in nutrition, including specific knowledge, a set of specific technical skills to deal with this scenario and, lastly, the necessary dialogue with other specialized areas of knowledge. Ten recommendations on the characteristics of the curriculum and practices of the professional category that could foster the construction of the necessary skills were highlighted. The recommendations may contribute to successful training actions in nutrition in the light of the growing need for alignment with the current problems of Food and Nutrition Security and full attainment of the Sustainable Development Objectives.

Key words
Food and nutrition security; Competency-based education; Human resources in nutrition