Eating for Sustainability
Altogether, global food systems produce an estimated 21-37% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. This amount is significant enough that even if emissions from fossil fuel use in electricity production, transportation, and industry were immediately halted, current trends in global food production alone would cause over 1.5°C of global average temperature warming, severely threatening prospects of reaching the Paris Agreement goal of keeping temperatures within 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.
As of 2017, global human-induced warming had already reached 1 °C. Further increases in temperatures will only continue to contribute to more extreme weather patterns and sea level rise. Major sources of greenhouse gas emissions from food production include the clearing of land, use of fertilizers and pesticides, the flatulence and waste produced by livestock, rice production, and the combustion of fuels in production and supply chains. To combat climate change, we need major shifts in food production. This includes supply-side adaptations, such as closing gaps in crop and livestock yields, and streamlining the processing, storage, and transport of these foods. Critically reviewing existing subsidies and pricing foods such as red meat to reflect the true environmental costs of production will aid in the reform of the food system. On the demand side, it is integral for dietary changes to occur.
What does a sustainable diet look like? In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health published a first-of-its-kind science-based guide for a healthy and sustainable diet, adaptable to different cultures across the globe. This diet, also known as the planetary health diet, seeks to maximize both human health benefits while providing a balance with environmental health. On the global level, consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes will need to double, while consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%. On the individual level, this translates into a diet that is primarily plant-based, but can optionally include small amounts of fish, meat, and dairy foods. This is referred to as a flexitarian diet, also referred to as semi-vegetarianism. Vegetarianism (avoiding meat) and veganism (avoiding all animal products, such as dairy and eggs) are personal choices individuals may make, but not required in the planetary health diet.
Source: The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, and Health
Within the United States, the onus is on reducing meat and processed food consumption. This will be nothing short of a cultural revolution. The average American consumes 119.7 kg (264 pounds) of meat per year while the EAT-Lancet Commission report suggests consuming no more than 497 g (around 1 pound) of red meat, poultry and/or fish per week, which calculates to a mere 25.8 kg (56.9 pounds) per year. Instead of making animal-based proteins the centerpiece of meals, the spotlight will need to shift to vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts. Facilitating this change will require addressing long-standing food insecurity issues, such as food deserts, where people have a lack of access to fresh healthy foods. The planetary diet is also more expensive than the minimum cost of nutritional adequacy, with the largest share of the costs attributed to fruits and vegetables (31%), followed by legumes and nuts (19%), meat, eggs, and fish (15%), and finally dairy (13%). Increasing incomes and offering food assistance will help people afford provisions from planetary health diet. In developed countries, however, this diet is often less expensive than what people currently spend on food.
Flexitarianism is on the rise in the U.S., gaining a significant following, especially among young adults. In order for this trend to continue, consumers will have to learn to find and prepare animal protein alternatives that are appealing, nutritious, convenient, and more widely available. For the promotion of health and sustainability, the products and ingredients themselves are not only important, but the economy in which they exist. Transparency throughout the supply chain is increasingly valued by consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed susceptibilities in existing meat supply chains within the U.S. and underscored the need for increased worker safety and regional self-sufficiency. In order to meet climate goals, it is indispensable to make systematic changes in food production. Through collective action, Americans can “vote with their dollars” for the type of food production they support, and the type of future they wish to exist in.