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Message from the President

The International Union of Nutrition Sciences (IUNS) was founded in 1946 in London, UK. The vision of IUNS is to promote healthy wellbeing at a global level and a life without malnutrition as a fundamental human right. The persistence of malnutrition (undernutrition and overfeeding), especially among children and mothers and elderly in a world of plenty is immoral. Nutrition improvement anywhere in the world is not a charity but a societal, household and individual right to enhance quality of life and longevity.

IUNS has two missions:

  1. To promote advancement in nutrition science, research and development international cooperation at the global level
  2. To encourage communication and collaboration among nutrition scientists as well as to disseminate information in nutritional sciences through modern communication technologies.

The International Union of Nutrition Sciences also features contemporary global nutrition issues, such as:

  • The Global Challenge of Malnutrition (undernutrition and obesity)
  • Nutritional education for precision nutrition and also with a public health vision

IUNS is associated to ICSU, WHO/OMS and FAO, and has 18 Affiliated International Societies including the regional bodies FANS, FANUS, FENS and SLAN and have 81 Adhering Bodies.

IUNS sponsors several Task Forces. These are currently under review and will be announced online and in the next newsletter.

The IUNS Statutes and Rules have recently been revised and were approved by the IUNS General Assembly in October 2017.

As the IUNS President for the Council period 2017-2021 I would like to highlight several areas of action including the intention to pay more attention to communicating with Adhering and Affiliated Bodies. Creating a portal where Adhering Body members can access a variety of online nutrition courses for free will be a priority, as will implementing new Task Forces. IUNS Council will seek unrestricted increased funds to extend its activities, update the current Private Sector Engagement Policy and would like to promote IUNS with specific publications. In addition to these points, IUNS Council will be overseeing the preparation of the 22nd IUNS-ICN to be held in Tokyo, Japan in 2022.

Professor Alfredo Martinez

IUNS President (2017 – 2022)