Diet plays a very important role in climate change. Consistent dietary changes, whether consuming dairy, meat, or other foods, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cropland, and pasture requirements, and enhance biodiversity protection and can reduce mitigation costs.
EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health Report — a complete scientific study of what constitutes a healthy diet from sustainable food systems and which actions can support and speed up food system transformation. Reviews — suggest how the world could be without taking any action. At risk of failing to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, new generations will inherit a planet that is severely degraded, with a large portion of the population suffering from malnutrition and preventable diseases. Become.
This means that the planet’s health plate consists of about half the amount of vegetables and fruits, and the other half consists of whole grains, vegetable protein sources, unsaturated vegetable oils, and moderate amounts of animal protein sources. Walter Willett, MD, professor of public health at Harvard University, said in the EAT-Lancet report: Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes has doubled, while consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar he should reduce by more than 50%. A diet high in plant foods and low in animal foods offers both health and environmental benefits. “
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Clearly, a transition to a sustainable or climate-friendly diet is nutritionally healthier and economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. , use renewable energy, invest in energy-efficient appliances, and reduce pollution. A report on climate change and land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explains that plant-based diets represent a major opportunity to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The Climates Network, a world-renowned non-profit organization, suggests that climatarians can save “the equivalent of one tonne of CO2 per person per year through dietary changes.” This means that what humans eat has a huge impact on climate, topsoil, pollution and deforestation.
However, in recent years, as the public has become more aware of the health and environmental impacts of the food we eat and its production, there has been a growing interest in diets such as climate change, flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan.
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Manasa Lakshmi Penta, Clinical Dietitian, GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, said: cheese. On the contrary, nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes have the lowest carbon footprint per kilogram of food. encourage people to do It does not strictly limit meat and meat products. “
According to Penta, a flexible dietary approach can reduce meat intake and frequency while emphasizing plant-based foods and dairy. We practice lacto-ovo vegetarianism, including: Vegan diets have the lowest carbon footprint, but often these products can be highly processed. , indirectly contributes to carbon emissions.In addition, vegan diets may be deficient in nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron and zinc, which are abundant in animals. A carefully planned vegetarian diet under guidance can help us achieve good health while reducing our carbon footprint to climate change,” says Penta.
Food consumption not only affects the body, mind and soul, but it also has a profound effect on the planet. Ayurvedic expert Dr Sumita Naram, co-founder of Ayurvedic healthcare services and holistic wellness solutions platform, Ayushakti, believes that changing what humans grow and eat , says it helps reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable agriculture.
“Following a vegan or vegetarian diet is a great way to save the planet from the dire climate change we are facing. An Ayurvedic diet means being able to be conscious of what you eat, keeping in mind your habits, culture, climate/seasons, being climate friendly and keeping in mind the carbon footprint impact of different foods Meat and dairy account for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions,” Naram adds.
But can switching to flexi and climate-friendly diets reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable agriculture? Experts say climate-smart diets are the best alternative to protect the environment. On the climatarian diet, nothing is more important than eating healthy, unprocessed, home-cooked meals, creating a tailor-made diet plan EatFit 24/ Renowned nutritionist Shweta Shah, founder of 7, says: “It’s very easy to say that choosing seasonal and local ingredients is the best option among climatarian, flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets. It’s important to carefully choose and research what you’re buying and know a little bit about the harm that processing, packaging and transportation can do to the environment,” adds Shah.
According to Shah, a climate-adapted diet promotes effective use of nutritious foods and reduces processed food intake to avoid lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, PCOD and obesity. help.
Environmental impact
Food production accounts for almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it a very important contributor to climate change. Although there are foods that produce more greenhouse gases, food from animals accounts for two-thirds of all agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Plant-based foods generally have a much lower environmental impact. Rising agricultural emissions in the form of methane and nitrous oxide, cow burps, natural or synthetic fertilizers and wastes into the soil increase global agricultural emissions. According to a World Resources Institute report, global agricultural emissions increased by 8% between 1990 and 2010 and are projected to increase by 15% by 2030.
WWF’s report Bending the Curve: The Resilience of Planet-Based Diets helps individuals and policy makers understand the health and environmental impacts of diets. “Dietary changes happen at the local level, so it’s important to translate the global agenda into actionable country-level analysis,” said Brent, his scientist and lead author of the report at WWF. He says Loken.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution. For example, some countries will need to drastically reduce their consumption of animal products, while others will need to increase them to tackle the burden of undernutrition. Health and the environment need to be considered together. there is,” adds Loken.
healthy eating
The planetary health plate should consist of about half the volume of the vegetable and fruit plate. The other half, represented by caloric contribution, should consist primarily of whole grains, vegetable protein sources, unsaturated vegetable oils, and (optionally) moderate amounts of animal protein sources.
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