Planetary health and reduction in meat consumption

Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation

In recent years there have been increasing calls for “global dietary transition” in order to save the planet and improve human health. One troubling development associated with this is the attempt to delineate in universal terms what constitutes a sustainable and healthy diet. This perspective takes issue with this development, and specifically refutes one increasingly popular dietary narrative which calls for people to avoid red meat and dairy, and which portrays the local food movement as a romantic distraction. In contrast, the paper provides evidence of a range of sustainability and health benefits associated with both local food systems and the agri-food system’s inclusion of ruminants (the suborder of mammals from which humans mostly derive red meat and dairy). Finally, the perspective calls for a pluralist and multi-scalar approach to the multifaceted challenges associated with food production.

Sustainable Nutrition in a Changing World, 2017

Current patterns of meat production and consumption have multiple negative consequences from a sustainability perspective. Nutrition and sustainability are closely linked, and meat production and consumption are widely recognized as environmentally harmful. The widespread adoption of healthy nutritional habits could lead to a more sustainable nutrition system, but this requires not only structural changes within the food system itself but also substantial behavioral change on the part of consumers. This chapter inquires why such a change is so hard to achieve. It examines the debate on the repercussions of meat production and consumption for human health and the environment; discusses meat consumption within the context of nutritional practices; and introduces possible ways of changing the nutritional practices of consumers. It argues that only by understanding the nature of meat-based diets and their associated dietary practices will it be possible to bring about significant change in people's dietary habits. Keywords Meat production Á Meat consumption Á Meat-based diet Á Nutritional practices Á Dietary practices Á Health Á Environment Á Consumer Á Change 8.1 Introduction Nutrition and sustainability are closely linked. Food production and processing, supply and demand, consumer preferences and consumption patterns, and, last but not least, the management of food-waste-induced climate change are only a few of many critical environmental issues in which nutrition and sustainability interact. Other key factors include biodiversity, as well as the use of oil, water and land resources.

Science (New York, N.Y.), 2018

Both the global average per capita consumption of meat and the total amount of meat consumed are rising, driven by increasing average individual incomes and by population growth. The consumption of different types of meat and meat products has substantial effects on people's health, and livestock production can have major negative effects on the environment. Here, we explore the evidence base for these assertions and the options policy-makers have should they wish to intervene to affect population meat consumption. We highlight where more research is required and the great importance of integrating insights from the natural and social sciences.

2017

4 were to be introduced throughout the region, there would be a much greater prospect for biodiversity conservation. The second part of the analysis was carried out as a review of existing food policies and dietary guidelines worldwide, including a literature review and data available from the FAO database. A semi-structured questionnaire was also used to assess the potential role of academia in fostering the change towards more sustainable diets. The review showed that awareness and policy action concerning the impact of meat consumption on environmental resources is relatively scarce. It can be argued that this general lack of policies and supporting guidelines related to sustainable diets hinders a more consistent awareness in civil society concerning the relevance and urgency of this matter: as earlier research has shown, currently, the majority of people still struggle to see the connection between the reduction of individual meat consumption levels and global environmental ben...

2020

In recent years, there have been increasing calls for “global dietary transition” in order to save the planet and improve human health. One troubling development associated with this is the attempt to delineate in universal terms what constitutes a sustainable and healthy diet. In this article, I problematize an increasingly popular dietary narrative—one which calls for people to avoid red meat and dairy, and which portrays the local food movement as a romantic distraction. In contrast, I provide evidence for a range of sustainability and health benefits associated with localism and the inclusion of ruminants—the suborder of mammals from which humans derive most of their red meat and dairy—in the food system. Finally, using the neo-colonial subjugation of Indigenous food cultures as an example, I show how universal dietary advice can result in the promotion of culturally-inappropriate foods to the detriment of community health and sustainability. I conclude with a call for a more pl...

Appetite, 2014

Adapting Western meat consumption to health and sustainability challenges requires an overall reduction of industrially produced animal proteins plus a partial replacement by plant proteins. Combining insights on food, environment, and consumers, this paper aims to explore change strategies that may help to meet these challenges, such as promoting smaller portions of meat ("less"), smaller portions using meat raised in a more sustainable manner ("less but better"), smaller portions and eating more vegetable protein ("less and more varied"), and meatless meals with or without meat substitutes ("veggie-days"). The underlying logic of the strategies was clarified by analyzing dietary choices. A nationwide sample of 1,083 Dutch consumers provided information on current eating practices and potential changes. The results show that strategies to change meat eating frequencies and meat portion sizes will appeal to overlapping but partly different segments of consumers and that these strategies can be applied to address consumers in terms of their own preferences. The strategies appeared to have different strengths and weaknesses, making them complementary pathways to facilitate step-by-step changes in the amounts and the sources of protein consumed.

Appetite, 2001

In a study of influences on meat consumption, over 700 South Australians answered questions on frequency of meat consumption, beliefs about meat and nutrition, perceived difficulties with and benefits of vegetarian diets, personal values, number of vegetarian significant others, use in and trust of health/nutrition/food information sources, and demography. Perceived difficulties with vegetarian diets, the number of vegetarian significant others and beliefs about meat were important predictors of meat consumption. There were differences between men and women and members of different age groups, which should be taken into account when attempts are made to influence meat consumption. For example, health promotion campaigns that focus on whether or not meat is necessary in the diet may influence meat consumption, but would be most successful if directed predominantly at older people and men. In contrast, the meat consumption of women and younger people was strongly associated with more specific concerns about lack of iron and protein in the vegetarian diet. Some of the difficulties people find with vegetarian diets will also apply to plant-based diets generally, and such diets are becoming more widely acknowledged as providing health benefits. Therefore, the findings have important implications for public health.

2021

This Guidance Memo provides a comparative analysis of the production and consumption of animal flesh in six important and illustrative countries, as a basis for assessing the potential of rising plant-meat production and consumption. A core argument is that a rapid and radical transition away from animal flesh-centered diets is an urgent environmental priority, starting in the world's wealthiest countries where per capita consumption is highest, followed by middle income countries where per capita consumption is rising fastest. Another related argument is that plant-meats could have a crucial role speeding this dietary transition, although they do not comprise a proverbial silver bullet. The ultimate aim of this memo is to help environmental and animal advocates appreciate the context and dynamism of plant-meat development, which in turn leads to insights about messaging and how to support growth and direct substitution in dietswhat we refer to as re-meatification-moving forwards.

Theory and practice of meat processing, 2022

This research reviewed human meat consumption and highlighted associated history, challenges and benefits. Selected literature for the manuscript was from relevant titles and reliable international sources. From early times of the mankind meat consumption and animal husbandry were inseparable parts of living, and with similar consequences as dramatic influence on environment. Human need for meat consumption fueled development of large world markets with incredible trade, processing and consumption. This overconsumption has caused health problems associated with high intake of cholesterol and sodium chloride. Another problem with meat consumption is the use of additives in processed products. In modern time these problems are tackled by the use of additives from plants that have health benefits. Thermal processing is yet another problem with meat consumption that food industry and science addresses by non-thermal replacements (e. g. high-pressure processing and electrotechnologies). ...

Worldwide, an estimated 2 billion people live primarily on a meat-based diet, while an estimated 4 billion live primarily on a plant-based diet. The US food production system uses about 50% of the total US land area, 80% of the fresh water, and 17% of the fossil energy used in the country. The heavy dependence on fossil energy suggests that the US food system, whether meat-based or plant-based, is not sustainable. The use of land and energy resources devoted to an average meat-based diet compared with a lactoovovegetarian (plant-based) diet is analyzed in this report. In both diets, the daily quantity of calories consumed are kept constant at about 3533 kcal per person. The meat-based food system requires more energy, land, and water resources than the lactoovovegetarian diet. In this limited sense, the lactoovoveg-etarian diet is more sustainable than the average American meat-based diet. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78(suppl):660S-3S. KEY WORDS Meat-based diet, plant-based diet, environment, natural resources, fossil, energy, fuel INTRODUCTION Worldwide, an estimated 2 billion people live primarily on a meat-based diet, while an estimated 4 billion live primarily on a plant-based diet. The shortages of cropland, fresh water, and energy resources require most of the 4 billion people to live on a plant-based diet. The World Health Organization recently reported that more than 3 billion people are malnourished (1, 2). This is the largest number and proportion of malnourished people ever recorded in history. In large measure, the food shortage and malnourishment problem is primarily related to rapid population growth in the world plus the declining per capita availability of land, water, and energy resources (3). Like the world population, the US population continues to grow rapidly. The US population doubled in the past 60 y and is projected to double again in the next 70 y (4) (Figure 1). The US food production system uses about 50% of the total US land area, approximately 80% of the fresh water, and 17% of the fossil energy used in the country (3). The heavy dependence on fossil energy suggests that the US food system, whether meat-based or plant-based, is not sustainable. The use of land and energy resources devoted to an average meat-based diet compared with a lactoovovegetarian (plant-based) diet is analyzed in this report. In both diets, the daily quantity of calories consumed was kept constant at about 3533 kcal per person.