Network of German, US and Canadian researchers to organize two food economic seminars (2010 and 2012) and a track session at the 8th World Congress on Health Economics (2011)

“食品选择与健康经济学网络”的目的是为来自不同学科（如经济学、食品科学和动物卫生）和不同国家（德国、美国和加拿大）的年轻专业人员和高级研究人员提供一个跨学科论坛，共同工作。该网络的重点在于从经济和行为角度分析饮食模式和食品安全问题，以支持消费者选择健康食品。为了从网络成员所涵盖的不同研究领域中受益，计划了三个公共活动。2010年和2012年将举办两次关于“食品经济学、食品选择和健康”的研讨会，第一次在德国举行，第二次在美国举行。此外，该网络将在2011年在加拿大举行的第八届世界卫生经济学大会上组织一次跟踪会议。营养不良和不安全食品既是营养和健康问题，也是经济和行为问题。一个人健康生活所需的营养和其他饮食元素摄入的不足和过量以及毒素的摄入，一方面是个人的结果，另一方面也是工业的选择和行为的结果，对个人、工业和社会都有影响。研讨会和跟踪会议的目的是深入了解食物选择的决定因素、食物供应以及监管方法及其对健康的可能影响。在研讨会和跟踪会议上，将汇集微观经济学、健康经济学和行为经济学、食品营销和食品科学方面的研究，以解释不健康饮食或不安全食品造成的风险之间的相互依存关系，并分析管理这些风险的机会。

The purpose of the “Network on the Economics of Food Choice and Health” is to provide a platform for young professionals and senior researchers from different disciplines such as economics, food sciences and animal hygiene and from different countries (Germany, the US and Canada) to work together in an interdisciplinary forum. The network’s focus lies on analysing dietary patterns and food safety issues from an economic as well as from a behavioural perspective in order to support healthy food choices of consumers. To benefit from the different research areas covered by the network members three public events are planned. Two seminars on ‘The Economics of Food, Food Choice and Health’ will be organized in 2010 and 2012, the first in Germany and the second in the US. In addition, the network will organise a track session at the 8th World Congress on Health Economics in 2011 in Canada.Malnutrition and unsafe foods are as much economic and behavioural issues as they are nutritional and health issues. Deficiencies and excess in a person’s intake of nutrients and other dietary elements needed for a healthy living on the one hand and toxins on the other hand are the result of individual but as well industrial choices and behaviour with individual, industrial and societal consequences. The aim of the seminars and the track session is to provide insights into the determinants of food choice, food availability as well as regulatory methods and their possible impact on health. At the seminars and at the track session studies from micro-, health- and behavioural economics, food marketing and food science will be brought together in order to explain interdependencies among risks resulting from unhealthy diets or unsafe food and to analyse opportunities to manage these risks.