A/HRC/43/44/Add.6 Comments: Italy, with conviction, has started a process of sharing with the industrial sector the improvement of the nutritional characteristics of food products with particular attention to the child population (3-12 years), so as to allow a greater availability of foods with lower levels salt, saturated fats, trans fatty acids and sugars, without neglecting the importance of portion sizes. This has resulted in the drafting of 2 documents, aiming at, o the one hand, directing the marketing of baby food and at, on the other hand, at sharing some objectives for improving nutritional quality, in line with the indications of the EU and the WHO: "Guidelines for commercial communication relating to food and beverages so as to protect children and their proper nutrition". http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_2427_allegato.pdf “Shared objectives for the improvement of the nutritional characteristics of food products with particular attention to the child population (3-12 years)". http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_2426_allegato.pdf With regard to the document “Shared objectives for the improvement of the nutritional characteristics of food products with particular attention to the child population (3-12 years) ", data collection shows a marked improvement in the nutritional characteristics in terms of sugars, saturated fats, sodium, increase in fiber, compared to the recent past. Furthermore, the results point out, in several cases, the exceeding of the objectives set for 2017. http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_opuscoliPoster_376_0_alleg.pdf VI. School feeding-programmes/ school canteens 107. There is also an urgent need to improve the quality of the food in school canteens and provide local and organic food from local producers. Comments: The Ministry of Health is actively engaged in defining a global strategy aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing non-communicable diseases. Among the main relavant problems there are also those related to school catering. In this perspective, in 2010 the "national guidelines for school catering" had been developed. http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_1248_allegato.pdf In 2019, a review of the aforementioned guidelines was completed which are currently on the way to be approved and published. VII. Italy’s contribution to Global Food Policy 109. Italy actively participates in the United Nations mechanisms, is a founding member of the European Union, and one of the members of the G-7, the “Group of Seven” countries that constitute the seven largest advanced economies in the world. These countries represent more than 62% of the global net wealth, more than 46% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) based on nominal values and more than 32% of the global GDP based on purchasing power parity. These figures indicate that Italy’s role and impact on agriculture and food systems in the globalized world is significant. 110. Italy is one of the active participants in global policies on food systems, and home to the Rome-based international organizations (FAO, IFAD and WFP) as well as World Committee of Food Security (CFS). Italy contributes 30 million US dollars annually to FAO’s budget, one of the largest voluntary contributors, supporting activities to achieve food security and poverty reduction. As an active member of CFS, Italy defends its inclusive human rights-based approach to global food security, and supports all Voluntary Guidelines and Policy documents. 19