A Diet for aโค Healthy Planet: The โEAT–Lancet Commission’s Recommendations
A collaborative effort between the non-governmental institution EAT and the journal The Lancet has resultedโ in a โคpanel dedicated to forging strategies โfor both human health and โplanetary โwellbeing through dietary changes. The commission’s work highlights the critical link between food systems,โ environmental sustainability, and public health.
According to Johan โRockstrรถm, director of โthe Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and co-chair of the EAT-Lancetโ Commission, transforming food systems โฃis “a prerequisite for us โto have the chance to return to a safe climate system and a healthy planet.” Heโ emphasizes that shifting our eating habits has โคthe โpotential to โsave lives, considerably reduceโ greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate biodiversity loss, and promote greaterโ socialโฃ equity.
The commission’s reportโค suggestsโ adopting a “Planetaryโค Health diet” could prevent approximately 15 million premature โคdeaths annually linked to diet-related illnesses. โขThis diet largely aligns with existingโค nutritional guidelines, prioritizing a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. It also includes moderate consumption ofโข eggs (threeโ to โfour per week),โ fish, and poultry, whileโค advocating โfor minimal intake of meat, notably fromโฃ ruminant animals like cattle, sheep, and goats.
The focus on reducing ruminant meat consumptionโข stems from bothโ health and environmental concerns. beyond potentialโ long-term cancer risks, ruminants are a notable sourceโ of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The report states that 53%โ ofโ non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture โoriginate fromโฃ thes โanimals. A globalโ shift towardsโค healthier dietsโค could reduce greenhouseโค gas emissions from theโฃ food sector by 15%.
Currently,โ typical diets are characterized by a deficiency in fruits,โ vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, coupled with excessive โคconsumption of meat, dairy, fats, sugar, and highly processed foods. However, the โcommission stresses that the Planetary Health diet is not intended as a rigid, one-size-fits-allโ solution. It is โขdesigned to be โขflexible, accommodatingโ diverse cultures, traditions, eating habits, and individual preferences.
Implementing โขthis dietary โฃshift necessitates significant changes โคinโข food โคproduction. Production of ruminant meat would โฃneed to decrease by roughlyโ a third, while โคthe output of fruits, vegetables, and nuts wouldโข require an almost โขtwo-thirdsโ increase compared to โข2020 levels. โฃ
Alongside production adjustments, the reportโ advocatesโฃ forโข reducing food lossโ and wasteโ throughout the supply chain and promoting lasting agricultural practices. Theseโค include soil cultivationโฃ methods that minimize environmental disruption, such as reduced tillage.
The report, building upon previous analysis from 2019,โข concludes that a climate-neutral โฃfood โคsystem is achievableโฃ with significant investment and concerted effort. Currently, food production isโ the largest driver of โexceeding planetary boundaries, including climate change, alterations in nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, and ocean acidification.
Rockstrรถm, leadโ authorโค of the Lancet publication, asserts the report “provides the clearest guidanceโฃ yet onโข how to feed aโ growing global population without exceeding the Earth’s safe operating space.” Theโข commission also emphasizes the importance ofโฃ socialโฃ justice within theโ food system, โคcalling for fair wages, safe working conditions, and increased participation of marginalized groups – including small farmers, indigenous peoples, and women – โin decision-making processes.