How small changes to our diet can benefit the planet

Information from National Geographic, written by Alejandra Borunda.

Photo from Pick Up Limes.

A study from Nature Food states that small changes in our food choices can benefit both human health and the health of our planet. For example, processed meats and red meats put a large strain on our health and the environment, however, if we were to decrease our daily calorie intake by 10%, through switching meat for alternatives, can cut a person’s food-based environmental footprint by over 30%, the study says.

Food production makes up about one-fifth to one-third of all annual greenhouse gas emissions globally via growing it, packaging it, moving it around, cooking it, and often wasting it. The food production cycle is responsible for major water quantity and quality problems often requiring herbicides and pesticides that endanger biodiversity and engender forest and wildland losses when lands are converted to agriculture.

Based on  Olivier Jolliet, an environmental scientist at the University of Michigan and one of the authors of the study; “It’s not up to, or the responsibility of, any single person to solve nationwide or global health and environmental crises. But insights like those he and his team developed can help people, institutions, and even governments figure out where to direct their energies to make the biggest influence quickly.”

So, what now?

We have no substitute for food, but changing what we eat is possible. If everyone on the planet ate vegan, greenhouse gas emissions from food production could be cut by more than half whereas a planet of vegetarians could cut food emissions by 44%. While vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more normal, “it’s absolutely absurd to assume that everyone will be eating a vegetarian diet 30 years from now,” states Olivier.

Food symbolises more than our nutritional requirements, “food choices are personal, deeply connected to culture, religion, emotion, economic concerns, and so much more.” Giving people the choice, information and the opportunity to choose a diet that aligns with their needs and values will benefit both human health, globally, and the planet.

“We don’t all have to become vegan overnight, small changes can make big impacts.” – Michael Clark