Action plan for healthy agriculture, healthy nutrition, healthy people

In October 2010, the World Council on Genetics, Nutrition and Fitness for Health promoted a scientific meeting in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on the theme Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People. The meeting focused on evolutionary aspects of human diet through the life cycle in terms of genetic predisposition, overall health, prevention of disease and of unhealthy behaviors, such as poor physical activity, and dietary changes caused by the introduction of modern agriculture, from the Agribusiness to systems of food production, from climate changes to the needs imposed by urban agriculture and architecture. Nutritional medical (mostly cardiological) and political aspects of disease prevention through healthy dietary habits and physical activity have always been seen in isolation. The meeting, the first of its kind, treated such aspects together, recognizing the importance of integrating and initiating a dialogue between these disciplines. The meeting gathered together experts in cardiovascular prevention, nutrition, as well as politicians, for a global discussion of these themes. A summary statement was then compiled, focusing on the main themes on which a consensus had been reached. I strongly believe that such themes have great relevance for public health, raising the need for disseminating them as widely as possible. I am thankful to the Editor of the Italian Journal of Medicine for allowing this summary document to be made available for the first time in Italy.

Raffaele De Caterina