We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Go easy on meat and dairy – a recipe to save the planet
REDUCING meat and dairy consumption, eliminating waste and cutting fatty and sugary foods from your diet will make the biggest impact on human and environmental health, another Government-backed report has found.
The report, ‘Setting the Table’ by the Sustainable Development Commission, has assessed the environmental and health impacts of changing patterns of food consumption.
It concluded a change in consumption would benefit both the environment and nutritional health in the UK.
The report ramps up the pressure on the Government to force a change in eating habits, coming just weeks after the Department of Health funded a similar study calling to reduce meat and dairy consumption.
Around 18 per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions are related to food consumption and production and an estimated 70,000 premature deaths in the UK could be avoided if our diets matched nutritional guidelines, said the SDC report.
Tim Lang, food commissioner at the Sustainable Development Commission, said a diet could be sustainable on multiple fronts.
“Cutting down on meat and dairy, and eating only sustainably sourced fish, fruit and vegetables, would all help reduce the impact of our food system, as well as improving health,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the conclusions were not without controversy.
“We understand that this raises complex questions for companies, government and consumers, and more work remains to be done to address these issues.”
Overall, the report recommended a fundamental re-think from Government to join-up its policy between health, environmental and social departments.
Apart from cutting out meat and dairy, the SDC report said the Government should encourage consumers to shop on foot or over the internet, to buy fish from sustainable stocks, to buy more seasonal, wildlife-friendly and organic food and to buy less bottled water.
‘Setting the Table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets’ was commissioned by Defra as part of its Food 2030 project.
Mark Driscoll, from the World Wildlife Fund said the report was useful but added ‘technological advancements and improved efficiency throughout the food chain’ must also be sought to help meet tough greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Readers' comments (1)
Anonymous | 16 December 2009 7:37 pm
Tim Lang has made a good living over the last 20 years attacking British livestock farming , in the early 90s it used to be BSE was the danger , now its climate change , in 20 year it will something else ??
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