Food Policy in Portugal: Historical Context, Opportunities, and Threats

Abstract

In 2012 Portugal implemented a concerted set of actions aiming at improving its population's nutritional status, as it will be described in this article. This strategy on food and nutrition, conducted by the Ministry of Health, was the result of different initiatives and experiences that had been carried out in this field since 1974. In fact, the first steps for the development of a food and nutrition policy in Portugal were done in this period (1974), the time when the democracy was established in Portugal. It also coincides with Food and Agriculture Organization's First World Food Conference, which took place in Rome in the same year. In this article, the main actions already implemented in Portugal are described, as well as difficulties, threats, and opportunities for the future arising from this new food and nutrition policy.