Achieving a healthy, sustainable and climate-friendly diet: what do municipalities and counties need?

BACKGROUND: In 2022 the Norwegian Institute for Public Health was asked to ascertain how local authorities help their citizens maintain a healthy, sustainable and climate-friendly diet. The research should identify the barriers and promoting factors involved, and pinpoint national policies and tools that would support the local authorities, using quantitative and qualitative methods. METHODS: 356 municipalities and 10 counties were asked to fill in an online questionnaire. 6 municipalities and 6 counties took part in qualitative interviews. Interview transcripts and text from the 180 received questionnaires were subjected to content analysis and combined with questionnaire data in a mixed methods analysis. RESULTS: The municipalities did not consider sustainability and climate in their nutrition work, apart from projects on food waste. The counties were involved on their own behalf and also tried to support the municipalities. Main barriers for the municipalities were lack of personnel (67%), economic resources (65%), and competence (48%). Several municipalities indicated that lack of policy foundations and support from local authorities along with lack of knowledge about local challenges hindered this work. The opportunities indicated by the municipalities were making nutrition a part of local policies and budgets (55%) and making the prioritization of nutrition visible within the municipality (66%). Local cooperation and having access to personnel with nutritional competence and responsibility for nutrition were also considered important. The counties saw their roles as facilitators and distributors of project funds to the municipalities, but many of them required more resources to fulfil their duties. CONCLUSIONS: The municipalities’ work to promote a healthy and sustainable diet is inadequately anchored in Norwegian municipalities’ policies and governance. The municipalities need interventions and tools to increase the public health sector's competence in the field. KEY MESSAGES: • Municipalities should include nutrition and sustainability in local planning, policy, and governance. • Counties should be provided with tools that help them to support local level work.