Sistemas alimentares em programas de Nutrição no ensino superior: evidências de uma revisão de escopo e de um estudo de caso brasileiro

Rolim, Priscilla Moura; Jacob, Michelle Cristine Medeiros; Porciuncula, Laura; Carvalho, Aline Martins de; Marchioni, Dirce Maria Lobo; Rocha, Cecilia

doi:10.1590/1678-9865202639e250036

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REVIEW ARTICLE | Collective Health • Rev Nutr 39 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9865202639e250036 linkcopiar

Sistemas alimentares em programas de Nutrição no ensino superior: evidências de uma revisão de escopo e de um estudo de caso brasileiro

Autoria SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Este artigo tem como objetivo avaliar as evidências de abordagens de sistemas alimentares em cursos de Nutrição do ensino superior e lacunas de conhecimento; e apresentar um estudo de caso do Brasil. Uma revisão de escopo seguindo protocolos sistemáticos e as diretrizes do Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Numa perspectiva prática, nós conduzimos um estudo qualitativo, transversal e descritivo, com escopo no Brasil, utilizando abordagem de estudo de caso com mapeamento online colaborativo. A revisão identificou 23 artigos destacando a necessidade de mudanças sistemáticas no currículo. Os estudos são recentes, desenvolvidos por países de alta renda, com foco mais em currículos do que em práticas concretas. Cursos integrativos e aplicações práticas em saúde pública, assistência médica e serviços de alimentação com abordagem sistêmica são soluções propostas. Dados qualitativos sugerem incorporar o aprendizado baseado em hortas, abordar sistemas alimentares em estágios e promover debates sobre biodiversidade alimentar e produtores locais. Um estudo de caso identificou 15 experiências, principalmente ações de extensão. Os resultados do estudo de caso, com base em experiências brasileiras, destacaram debates importantes sobre tópicos como segurança e soberania alimentar, sistemas alimentares e sustentabilidade, biodiversidade e saúde planetária. As metodologias aplicam práticas integradas entre disciplinas, comumente configuradas em isolamento, aprendizagem baseada em jardins e projetos integrados de pesquisa e extensão com participação da comunidade. Enfatizamos que abordagens transdisciplinares em currículos de Nutrição são fundamentais, pois os profissionais devem estar cientes das complexidades do mundo contemporâneo, o que inclui o desenvolvimento de sistemas alimentares sustentáveis e resilientes. Isso requer uma visão mais holística da Nutrição, integrando dimensões ambientais, sociais e econômicas para enfrentar os desafios atuais e futuros. Envolver professores e alunos nessas mudanças é essencial para o desenvolvimento de práticas sistêmicas.

Palavras-chave
Estudo de caso; Sistemas alimentares; Ensino superior; Nutricionista; Revisão de escopo

Study	Future studies to advance nutrition programs
^{Wilson et al., 2015} [¹⁶]	Studies that lead the way in recognizing that learning about Indigenous health is relevant for all dietitians and nutritionists, by focusing on the training of dietitians.
^{Hartle et al., 2017} [¹⁷]	Metrics for food-related academic programs should evaluate both curricula and job attainment. This evaluation could involve assessing employment fields of graduates; determining if training adequately prepares students for complex career paths; using graduate insights to improve and adapt curricula; and understanding the alignment between academic training and job market requirements.
^{Carino et al., 2019} [⁴⁴]	The collaboration between universities and nutrition councils supports the development of policies, programs, and practices that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Food and nutrition professionals can actively lead in advocating for, educating about, and governing food systems. Programs can provide insights into recommending changes in competencies and making modifications to curricula.
^{Knobloch et al., 2019} [²⁴]	Future research should involve interdisciplinary teams. This approach aims to enhance the interdisciplinary skill sets of agricultural and extension educators. Additionally, it seeks to develop critical thinking, complex problem-solving, systems thinking, and the application of integrated knowledge through collaborative interdisciplinary learning partnerships.
^{Burkhart et al., 2021} [¹⁸]	Future research is needed to describe more explicitly what sustainability looks like in practice, providing specific examples to assist educators in framing sustainability authentically.
^{Mahn and Ded, 2021} [¹⁹]	Future research should expand findings by conducting an investigation of community garden interaction time, comparing transient and long-term learning, and analyzing discourse within laboratory curricula and discussions.
^{Spiker et al., 2021} [²⁵]	Incorporating systems thinking and interdisciplinary food systems education as a core element within programs would provide educators with an opportunity to assess this complex skill more comprehensively at the program level.
^{Higgins et al., 2022} [⁴⁷]	Future research should confirm this through multilingual translation capacity.
^{Maher et al., 2023} [⁵¹]	Recommendations include exploring the global perspectives of nutrition professionals worldwide to uncover potential synergies.
^{Goodridge et al., 2022} [⁴⁶]	Actions should be promoted with dietitians to increase their confidence and ensure they feel adequately equipped to determine what evidence is well-supported, what to recommend to their clients and patients. While supervisors should have food systems competence to support trainees, inserting more mandatory content into the curriculum is challenging. Future research is needed to explore innovative models and establish effective approaches for integrating food systems into dietetic training programs.
^{Boak et al., 2022} [⁴³]	Current and future workforce education and development must address the effects of climate change, increasing inequities, the democratization of knowledge, and disruptions in health and food systems.

Axis	Concepts	Methodologies
Teaching	Sustainability; sustainable food systems; food production and its environmental impacts; sustainable food consumption; food and nutritional education; food security; indicators for sustainability analysis in systems, diets, and menus; public policies for transforming food systems; communication with decision-makers; waste management; planetary health; social impacts; policies promoting family farming, traditional Indigenous and Quilombola communities.	Interactive lectures. Case studies. Roundtable discussions. Screening of documentaries and films; practices integrated with garden labs. Involvement of the external community. Guided practices at locations and food production in the territories. Analysis of supply data in different practice areas.
Research	Food systems and their dimensions: economic, social, cultural, legal, environmental, political, and health; food environment; vegetarianism; food security; food safety; sustainable diets; healthy and sustainable menus; environmental footprints of food consumption.	Dissemination, training, research, and practical impact. Social extension projects. Scientific meetings. Organization of scientific events.
Extension	Food systems; planetary boundaries; human health; public policies; advocacy; biodiversity; unconventional food plants; food and nutritional security; agroecology; educational gardens; food and nutrition public policies; school curriculum; sustainability.	Focus groups and roundtable discussions. Practical agroecology workshop (soil, composting, cultural practices, harvest); culinary workshops with unconventional food plants. Educational materials (magazines, eBooks, podcasts, recipes, social media posts).

Database	Search equations
PubMed	“food system” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” OR “dietitian” AND “higher education” “food system” AND “Nutrition” AND (“Nutritionist” OR “dietitian”) “food systems” AND “Nutrition” OR “Nutritionist” AND “higher education”
ScienceDirect	“food systems” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” AND “higher education” “food system” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” AND “higher education” AND “learning” “food system” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” AND “higher education” AND “learning” AND “capacity building”
Embase	“food system” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” OR “dietitian” AND “higher education” “food system” AND “Nutrition” AND (“Nutritionist” OR “dietitian”) “food systems” AND “Nutrition” OR “Nutritionist” AND “higher education”
Scopus	“food system” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” OR “dietitian” AND “higher education” “food system” AND “Nutrition” AND (“Nutritionist” OR “dietitian”) “food systems” AND “Nutrition” OR “Nutritionist” AND “higher education” “food system” AND “Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” AND “higher education” AND “learning” AND “capacity building”
Education Research Information Center (ERIC)	“Nutrition” AND “higher education” AND “food systems” “Nutrition” AND “Nutritional education” AND “food system” “Nutrition” AND “Nutritional education” AND “higher education” “Nutrition” AND “learning” AND “higher education” AND “food system”
Google Scholar	“Nutrition” AND “Nutritionist” AND “higher education” AND “food systems” AND “learning” AND “capacity building”

Citation (Country)	Objectives	Methodology employed for the practices	Main results
^{Barlett, 2011} (USA) [²⁷]	To show the capacity to contribute to transformational change toward an alternative food system in academic programs	It evaluated campus sustainability projects related to purchasing goals, academic programs, direct marketing, and experiential learning across 30 colleges and universities	Higher education institutions have transitioned from initiating a few pilot projects to broadly adopting alternative sustainable food chains. They have developed new metrics for food service practices and launched campus projects with regional, state, and national impact
^{Matthews, 2013} (CAN) [³⁵]	To assist students in comprehending and valuing the complete food cycle	Case study conducted with 165 undergraduate students in a food and nutritional sciences program. Using collaborative problem-based learning. Food miles and CO₂ emissions were calculated for foods purchased in their assigned neighborhood	Details about food production, processing, distribution, and waste were present in photographs and discussed in in-class focus groups. Students were more surprised by the travel distance of food transported globally than by the level of carbon emissions
^{Wilson et al., 2015} (AUS) [¹⁶]	To evaluate the Indigenous health curriculum of the Bachelor and Master of Nutrition and Dietetics	Research process to review the curricula involving stakeholders to co-create knowledge relevant to local contexts, and interviews with academic nutrition staff	Curriculum related to Indigenous health, lifestyle, and food supply/availability of traditional Indigenous peoples. Discussion of nutrition issues of Indigenous communities; and social determinants of food choice
^{Hartle et al., 2017} (USA) [¹⁷]	To enhance awareness of the expanding field of interdisciplinary food-related academic programs	A comprehensive strategy to identify interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate research and study programs related to food in the U.S.	This study identified 82 interdisciplinary undergraduate programs focused on food. Among these, 19 programs had a core focus on sustainable agriculture. A few programs were integrated, indicating traditional academic silos
^{Wegener, 2017} (CAN) [⁵²]	The perspective that dietitians are increasingly recognizing sustainable food systems is being communicated, alongside advocacy for specialized education, hands-on training, and professional growth centered on sustainable food systems for both trainees and practitioners at different stages of their careers
^{Maher and Burk, 2017} (AUS) [⁴⁹]	To describe students’ self-reported learning from engaging in an experiential learning task designed and to develop their understanding of sustainable food systems and dietary practices	143 first-year students participated in a weekly eco-friendly food challenge as part of a food and nutrition subject. They documented their experiences through content analysis and responded to reflective questions focused on actions, learning, and responses.	Students identified social barriers and time/energy constraints as key obstacles to adopting sustainable food practices and solutions. They also noted various community, government, and multi-sector efforts and initiatives supporting behavior changes.
^{Knobloch et al., 2019} (USA) [²⁴]	To outline the motivations and learning experiences in a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary graduate course	Case study design with questionnaires, which included rating scales and open-ended questions. Data were analyzed and triangulated into key findings	Students who engaged in interdisciplinary learning enhanced their communication and education skills through experiential place-based learning. They gained insights into global challenges with different disciplinary perspectives, identifying similar challenges in their local communities
^{Carino et al., 2019} (AUS) [⁴⁴]	To describe how sustainable food systems are taught to nutrition students	A cross-sectional study was conducted which involved a qualitative content analysis of documented online program outlines and an online survey with coordinators. The study was conducted in 2016	Of 130 identified degrees, only 8% included modules about sustainable food systems with the most learning outcomes. The types of assessment tasks included essays, reflection papers, policy analysis, reflective blogs, food system audits, eco-friendly food challenges, media analysis, case study presentations, analysis, and exams.
^{Finn, 2020} (USA) [⁴⁸]	To highlight the role of the nutritionist in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals	The article was structured around the stages of achieving sustainability: knowledge, trust, and partnerships to advance the profession in sustainable food systems	Curriculum for dietetic interns focusing on sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems; creating a sustainable food systems nutrition-focused framework for action
^{Burkhart et al., 2021} (USA) [¹⁸]	To examine the local and practice viewpoint of sustainability in a nutrition and dietetic program	Participatory action research process using an online survey, workshop, and interviews. The study was conducted in 2016	Generation of proposed sustainability statements in dietetic practice: sustainability thinking, future-oriented perspectives; stewardship and maintaining the nutrition field
^{Mahn and Ded, 2021} (CAN) [¹⁹]	To introduce a community garden laboratory in a foods course within a nutrition program	A descriptive survey methodology was used to explore the observations and opinions of participants	Analysis revealed four interrelated themes: connection and exposure, food preparation, benefits of using local food, and explicit learning. The garden was valued by students as a curriculum component as well as an opportunity for personal growth and development
^{Hege et al., 2021} (USA) [²⁰]	To describe the nature of interest in sustainable food systems, identify facilitators and barriers to educational opportunities related to sustainable food systems, and professional skills, and to identify ways to enhance the quality of instruction to expand the availability of educational opportunities.	Description of lessons learned from the sustainable food system curriculum implementation within dietetics education programs in the United States.	Nearly 20% of respondents had a general interest in working in sustainable food systems, 15% identified they already worked in sustainable food systems, and nearly 10% of those who downloaded the curriculum were learners interested in completing the curriculum. Fifteen programs implemented the curriculum from 2018 to 2020.
^{Mota et al., 2021} (BRA) [²¹]	The garden-based learning method can play a strategic role in biodiversity education in nutrition training.	Qualitative and exploratory approach, experience report type in the laboratory community garden.	Garden-based learning method addresses biodiversity challenges by enhancing professors’ skills and the institutionalization of the lab, adding the sustainable food systems course, collaborating with a multi-professional team, establishing connections and adapting tools for different cultural contexts.
Araujo et al., 2021 (BRA) [²²]	To present the experience at the garden lab to exemplify how unconventional food plants can be approached based on garden-based learning	Garden-based learning method, which includes teaching nutrition through plants, explored integrating components from agronomy, botany, ecology, and nutrition	Educational experiences focused on plants enhance skills in food biodiversity. Garden-based learning is an effective method for creating pathways toward sustainable environments and food systems.
^{Spiker et al., 2021} (USA) [²⁵]	To share perspectives on how food systems educators can use online learning to facilitate the development of systems thinking for future food systems professionals.	The working group conducted pilot tests of two interactive webinars covering themes such as policy, systems, and environmental issues. The webinar examined the application of systems thinking to malnutrition, and the impacts of nutrition interventions across five areas: ecological, agricultural, economic, socio-cultural, and health	Offers insights from a teaching approach that involves a varied group of stakeholders in food systems, addressing challenges like collaboration across multiple universities, sectors, and geographic locations
^{Higgins et al., 2022} (CAN) [⁴⁷]	To evaluate the integration of sustainable food systems concepts in dietetic training standards	A content analysis of dietetic training standards was conducted on the websites of 47 national dietetics associations. Document search terms included ‘sustain’ or ‘sustainable’, ‘food systems’, and/or ‘diets’	From the 47 associations, researchers obtained 23 dietetics training standards documents, of which 16 included food system-related content. Thirty-one of 52 mentions of content fell into the shallower depths of knowledge in understanding (n=12) and apply (n=19)
^{Boak et al., 2022} (AUS) [⁴³]	To explore the future roles and capabilities of nutrition and dietetics professionals	A qualitative method was used and involved interviews with focus groups composed of nutrition and dietetics graduates	Future roles for nutrition professionals include food and diet optimizers, knowledge translators, equity advocates, food systems activists, and change-makers. Essential skills for these roles – such as adaptability, resilience, advocacy, critical thinking, embracing diversity, and solution-focused approaches –can be integrated into curricula
^{Gerstein et al., 2022} (USA) [²⁶]	To provide a snapshot of how a clinical, retail, and public health dietitian supports sustainability in their local food system every day	Shared dialogue on issues and opportunities for advancing agriculture, nutrition, health, and sustainable food systems with stakeholders in the supply chain, food environments (retailers, schools, hospitals, and food banks) and providing guidance (to physicians, nurses, dietitians, fitness professionals, and culinary experts).	Themes in food production and nutrition include working with a multidisciplinary team, utilizing hospital rooftop gardens to provide ingredients for hospital meals and local restaurants, and supporting local farmers and the economy. Additionally, there is a focus on delivering dietary guidance and reducing food waste.
^{Goodridge et al., 2022} (CAN) [⁴⁶]	To identify ways dietitians can contribute to sustainable food systems as well as opportunities for collaboration within the profession	Drawn from research capturing how dietitians define their role in sustainable food systems, reports, and the small body of peer-reviewed literature available	Canadian dietetic programs are divided into four practice areas: clinical, food service, community, and industry. Redefining these programs requires addressing health, consumer demand, and food systems. Strategic approaches include collaboration, advocacy, policy change, knowledge dissemination, research, and management
^{Nix 2022} (USA) [⁵⁰]	To contribute to the discussion on revising nutrition curricula, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of whole foods, complex dietary behaviors, and food systems, aligning with advancements in the field of nutrition	Opinion and perspective based on the author’s interpretation, reflection, and argumentation on proposed changes to nutrition curricula in higher education	Proposed models for a course on general dietary health should include personal application components, and introduce students to current issues, key actors, organizations, and systems in nutrition. This approach offers a promising opportunity to implement change, provide holistic dietary strategies, and assess the interdisciplinary and complex nature of the field
^{Carlsson and Callaghan, 2022} (CAN) [⁴⁵]	To collectively define a vision of sustainable food systems, and discuss barriers, supports, needed actions, and roles for integrating sustainability into dietetic practice	Researchers used Delphi inquiry methods to explore how nutritionists and dietitians in 30 nations perceive sustainable food systems, their perceived roles, barriers, and support needed. They used sustainability principles in socio-ecological systems	Results show that not everyone agrees it falls within their scope of practice and highlight barriers at various levels, including an unsupportive professional culture and societal and ecological obstacles
^{Maher et al., 2023} (AUS) [⁵¹]	To understand the perceived opportunities for integrating a sustainability focus on nutrition and dietitian practice, from the lens of Australian professionals	Qualitative methodology using semi-structured online interviews with 10 professionals. Thematic analysis was used to understand how they perceive opportunities and barriers for integrating sustainability into practice	Future practice themes include preparing academics and practitioners for both individual-level and system-level work with a focus on policy. Barriers to implementing changes include a lack of contextual evidence, complexity, and competing priorities

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[1] Note: The study was conducted in all languages. There was no temporal limitation.