Scientists: Planetary Health Diet Slashes Emissions

A report from a team of environmental scientists suggests that if the entire world adopted the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, global greenhouse gas emissions from food could be reduced by 17%.

The study, published in Nature Climate Change, analyzed the emissions associated with 140 different food items across 139 countries. Previous research indicates that diets high in animal products and trans fats are linked to health issues like heart disease, and that animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gases than plant-based farming.

This new research assessed the environmental impact of shifting to the EAT-Lancet diet, which was developed in 2019 to create a sustainable food system capable of supporting 10 billion people by 2050. This diet is similar to a vegetarian diet but allows small amounts of dairy and animal proteins such as fish, eggs, and meat.

The findings showed that 56.9% of people are overconsuming meat and dairy, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. If these over-consumers switched to the EAT-Lancet diet, emissions from food production could fall by 32.4%. The study also pointed out that Western nations, which have the highest meat consumption, would need to make the largest changes to their diets to see these environmental benefits.