The Dietitian is an essential professional to overcome the great challenges of global health, not only of individuals but also of the planet. Everything we do in our daily lives leaves a footprint on the environment, which over time has endangered our wellbeing and planet welfare.

Therefore, sustainability must be one of the engines that connect us with the environment, taking it into account in our everyday life. Health professionals, particularly dietitians, can and must take part in preventing further environment degradation and allowing world population to develop efficiently to their highest personal and environmental health level.

ICD2016 wants to contribute with knowledge and expertise of dietitians worldwide with the slogan Going to sustainable eating!; to make it a reality. The 2016 ICD approaches sustainability across five areas of interest that directly affect the professional practice of Dietitians:

• Worldwide Impact of Dietetic Practicing. Dietitian-Nutritionist is key
  The dietitian-nutritionist as an active agent in our society who can influence decisively in the sustainability of the environment at all levels. Topics that will be discussed include: dietetic practice based on evidence, the role of dietitian-nutritionist, how the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases amongst the worldwide population could be and how this will be cause and effect of some human, social, economic and environmental circumstances and what can we need to do for sustaining effective health, social and productive systems.
• Equity and Professional Ethics within the Dietetic Professional Practice
  Professional ethic is essential when training, practicing and developing dietetics; but these values along with equity must be transversal to our society in all areas, like health, education, economy, etc. We will focus in how dietitians could improve food and nutrition security, how they can participate in leading food production towards global health and their role in quality training as a basic for solid ethical, equitable, responsible and sustainable professional practice.
• Research, Development and Innovation in Dietetics
  The integration of dietitians-nutritionists to the new social, economic, cultural and health environments, and to the mega-trends of systems, is necessary so their effect of people is suitable and efficient. Dietetics R&D science and its application to professional practice helps the dietitian-nutritionist connect, in a sustainable and effective way, with their professional environment.
• The power of dietitians-nutritionists to make a difference in Society
  Dietitians-nutritionists workforce can promote constructive changes, contributing to improve society through a regulated and qualified professional practice. We want to reflect about regulation of the dietitian-nutritionist's profession, dietetics as a cost-efficient tool for the Health System and the contribution of dietitian-nutritionist to achieve the "Millennium Challenges".
• Multiculturalism of a Global Society
  Globalization is a reality that has permeated in all cultures and societies, but this is nothing new; civilizations, people and their cultures, rituals, customs and lifestyle have fused together for centuries making the world as we know it today. However, these unique adaptations have opposed to a sustainable development. Cultural exchange has been fruitful, but the loss of cultural memory could be an obstacle for sustainable environments. We will focus in food transition, the importance of proximity food production and in how consumer can act as catalyst of the eating changes towards the perception of protecting the planet.

We hope you enjoy this brief. We believe firmly that dietitians are key.

Manuel Moñino
Chair
ICD Scientific Program Committee