New dissertation within One Health: We congratulate Niina Sundin!

Who are you? Could you give a short presentation of yourself and your research area?

"My name is Niina Sundin, and I recently defended my thesis entitled “Sustainability of food waste prevention through food consumption”. I have studied environmental engineering, systems analysis, and nutrition sciences. My research focuses on making our food systems more sustainable, particularly by finding ways to prevent food waste."

What is your research about and how does it link to One Health?

"The big idea is to reduce food waste, which is a big problem for our planet. A lot of edible food gets wasted, which harms the environment, costs a lot of money, and is unfair when so many people don’t have enough to eat. Food waste affects our environment and health, so it’s an issue that connects to the idea of One Health, which looks at the well-being of people, animals, and our planet together."

What problem does your research help to solve in the short and long term?

"In the short term, my research helps identify effective ways to reduce food waste that are easy to put into practice and are good for the planet. For example, food waste that can’t be prevented should be used as food for people or animals, which is the best option for the environment. In the long term, the goal is to create so-called systemic changes in the food system that prevent food waste from happening in the first place." 

How can your research contribute to a more sustainable world / what impact at the societal level can the results contribute to?

"By reducing food waste, we can lessen the environmental damage caused by food production, which uses a lot of resources and generates a lot of pollution. For example, food waste accounts for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Preventing food waste can also have positive health effects by ensuring that nutritious food is eaten rather than thrown away, for example, during school meals or by donating surplus food to people in need. Another way is to limit food overconsumption that leads to overweight and obesity, at an increasing rate here in Sweden and globally. My research has highlighted that this is not just a health problem but also a planetary health problem. To address this, we need to change our current food environments, which are often unhealthy, to encourage healthier and more sustainable food choices."

What are your plans now after your PhD?

"I plan to continue to do research in this field. It is inspiring and meaningful work, and a lot of interesting research can still be done. I also enjoy doing research in a multidisciplinary way, considering all aspects of sustainability, including environment, social and economic, which perfectly matches my background."

We wish Niina the best of luck in her future career! 

• Link to the thesis: Sustainability of food waste prevention through food consumption.