CEBU CITY — The Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) on Saturday challenged nutrition advocates to promote local food production while helping protect the environment.

During the Grand Nutrition Award organized by the National Nutrition Council-Department of Health, DA-7 regional executive director Dr. Angel Enriquez said protecting nature helps ensure clean water, healthy soil and a stable climate — conditions essential to producing nutritious food.

“When you protect nature, you are ensuring a clean and safe ecosystem and a stable climate. In turn, what does it give you? Clean water and healthy soil grow nutrient-rich food, while a safe ecosystem prevents toxic chemicals from entering crops, livestock and aquatic food sources,” Enriquez said.

She said nutrition is directly linked to the environment, stressing that caring for nature ultimately benefits communities.

“I am appealing to our Nutrition Champions: fulfill your duties while protecting the environment by integrating sustainable practices into local health programs,” Enriquez said.

She outlined several approaches nutrition advocates can adopt, including promoting local and seasonal produce to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting food.

Enriquez also urged communities to establish home and community gardens to provide fresh, nutrient-rich food while reducing dependence on industrial packaging.

She encouraged advocates to promote plant-forward meals and balanced eating practices such as Pinggang Pinoy, which emphasizes nutrient-dense local vegetables and sustainable food sources.

She also called for reducing single-use plastics during dietary supplementation programs and community feeding activities, as well as managing food waste through careful meal planning and composting organic scraps.

Enriquez urged nutrition advocates to work closely with local environment and agriculture offices to address the effects of climate change and ecosystem degradation on food production and malnutrition.