The human diet leads to catastrophic damage to our planet

Impact of our global form of nutrition

Experts now argue that humanity's production and consumption of food must radically change in order to prevent millions of deaths and catastrophic damage to our planet.

The scientists of the EAT-Lancet Commission and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have stated in their recent study that humanity urgently needs to change their production and consumption of food to avoid catastrophic damage to our planet. The researchers published the results of their study in the English language journal "The Lancet".

Humans have to radically change their diet and consume less meat and dairy products to avoid enormous damage to our planet. In the future, we will have to eat more vegetables, fruits and nuts. (Image: travelbook / fotolia.com)

The global diet needs to be urgently restructured

The key to both goals is a dramatic restructuring of the global diet. In the future, humanity can only consume about half as much sugar and red meat, but consume twice as many vegetables, fruits and nuts, the authors of the study explain.

How does today's diet affect people??

Currently, nearly one billion people are starving and two billion are eating too many false Foods, leading to epidemics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. According to the latest Global Disease Burden report, up to eleven million preventable premature deaths each year are due to an unhealthy diet.

At the same time, the global food system is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the biggest driver of biodiversity loss and the leading cause of deadly algal blooms along coastal and inland waterways. Agriculture, which has changed nearly half of the planet's land surface, consumes about 70 percent of the world's freshwater supply. Not only does the man-made cattle deliver large amounts of harmful methane, it also causes a massive decline for us vital forests, which are cut down to make room for cattle.

How can the problem be tackled??

To have a chance to feed ten billion people in 2050, we need to eat a healthier diet, reduce food waste, and invest in technologies that reduce the environmental impact, says study author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Research Center. Institute for Climate Impact Research in a press release. The goals are achievable, but nothing less is needed than a global agrarian revolution, the expert continues.

Meat consumption must be dramatically reduced

The cornerstone of the big food conversion required in the study is a human diet of about 2,500 calories per day. This does not mean that everyone has to eat in the same way, but in general, especially in the affluent countries, this means a reduction in the consumption of meat and dairy products and a significant increase in the consumption of plant foods. The targeted diet allows about seven grams of red meat per day, a maximum of 14 grams should apply. Typical hamburger patties weigh for comparison about 125 to 150 grams. To make one kilo of meat requires at least five kilograms of grain. Before the meat comes on our table as steak or lamb chop, about 30 percent have landed in the bin. A modest lentil stew, however, is also rich in iron and protein and a nutritious alternative to meat.

How much dairy products should be eaten daily?

The consumption of dairy products is limited to one cup of whole milk (250 grams) per day (or its equivalent in cheese or yoghurt) and only one or two eggs per week. At the same time, the rearranged diet requires an increase in the consumption of legumes, such as peas and lentils, as well as vegetables, fruits and nuts by more than 100 percent.

Study met with criticism from food companies

Of course, there was much discussion about the results of the current study. Especially representatives of the food industry doubted these results. The same food companies that oppose these findings recognize that they may not have a future if they do not adapt, explains Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. But there are also some multinational corporations, which cautiously but positively responded to the study. (As)