Environmentally-friendly benefits of plant-based eating Dr Christian Reynolds Knowledge Exchange Research Fellow (N8 AgriFood project)Department of Geography, University of Sheffield @sartorialfoodie

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

The N8 AgriFood aim:

To combine world‐leading research, in cooperation with agri‐food and nutritional  stakeholders, to ensure secure sustainable, resilient and healthy food supplies for all.

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

• Food security:‘physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet people’s dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.’ WHO

• Those with poor access to food security are also least likely to have access to affordable solutions (SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION)

• The N8 focus:• consumers’ dietary needs (innovation in food)• food preferences (health sustainable choices)• public health (policy, practices and intervention)

The Individual

The Situation

The Context

Social Norms 

Economic drivers

Policy

N8 AgriFood Approach: Better Nutrition, Better Health

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

The tale of two diets: the UK and the Global average

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Average supply of protein of animal origin (g/capita/day) (3‐year average)

United Kingdom World

Source: FAOStat Database, (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2014) 

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

The UK Dietary change

1974 to 2014

Source: DEFRA Family food open datahttps://data.gov.uk/dataset/family_food_open_data

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

A change in the UK diet (g per week)

Source: DEFRA Family food open datahttps://data.gov.uk/dataset/family_food_open_data

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Why shift towards a sustainable diet?

Source: Johnston, et al  Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal 5.4 (2014): 418‐429.

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Different proteins have different environmental impactsM3 of water per tonne of outputBeef  16726:1Pork 5469:1Cheese 5288:1Poultry 3809:1Egg 351:1Rice 2552:1Soybeans 2517:1 Wheat 1437:1Maize 1020:1Milk 738Potatoes 133:1

Ratio of Energy Input to Food‐Energy OutputLamb 57:1 Beef cattle 40:1 Eggs 39:1 Swine 14:1 Dairy (milk) 14:1 Turkey 10:1 Chicken 4:1 Corn 1:4

Sources:Sutton, Mark A., et al., eds. The European nitrogen assessment: sources, effects and policy perspectives. Cambridge University Press, 2011.D. Pimentel and M. Pimental Sustainability of Meat-Based and Plant-Based Diets and the Environment by in J. of Amer. Clinical Nutrition, 78(suppl) p. 660S– 663S.Hoekstra & Hung (2003), Chapagain & Hoekstra (2003) Zimmer & Renault, (2003), Oki et al. (2003)

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Different proteins have different environmental impacts

Edible avoidable Food Waste Estimate (%)

DescriptionSingle Adult Waste

Multiple Adult Waste

Beef 0.0815 0.0457Lamb 0.0224 0.0262Pork 0.2041 0.133Chicken 0.1855 0.0837Fish 0.096 0.0418

Lettuce/ salads 0.5069 0.3519

Pasta 0.1848 0.1595

Soya and novel protein foods 0.2589 0.1589

Source :WRAP 

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Food production and Climatic change

Wheeler, Tim, and Joachim Von Braun. "Climate change impacts on global food security." Science 341.6145 (2013): 508-513.

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Climate change and diet

UK food system 9% -20% of total UK GHGE from agriculture/food system.

Paris Targets 57% reduction from 1990 values by 2032, and an 80% reduction by 2050

4.14 kgCO2e/person/day reduced to 1.78kgCO2e/person/day (57% reduction

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Source: NDNS translated to HDI score matched with GHGE from Audsley 2010 (modifications by Horgan, Whybrow, and Macdiarmid 2016)

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Changing toward a Sustainable diet (low GHGE diet)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62

kgC

O2e

/day

Lower bound %

Optimised diet, UK Average, No cost constraintOptimised diet, UK Average, Cost constraint £4.47/day 2013 diet, UK Average, 2.79kg CO2e/day57% GHGE reduction from 1990 level, 1.78kg CO2e/day

Impact on GHGE and cost associated with lower bounds of the different diets. GHGE associated with different lower bound scenario optimised diets.

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Changing toward a Sustainable diet (low GHGE diet)

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Starchy foods including potatoes and breakfast cereals

Vegetables

Fruits (Inc. fruit juice)

Milk

Other Dairy Products

Red Meat

White meat

Processed meat

Seafood

Nuts, Seeds, Beans and Legumes (Inc. soya milk, soya mince…

Eggs

Butter, margarine, and oils

High fat and Sweet foods (Inc. cream)

Alcohol

Beverages (tea, coffee, Soft drinks)

Total

Food purchases by UK household in g /person/day

Diet to meet 5th carbon budget Typical UK 2013 diet

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Changing toward a Sustainable diet (low GHGE diet)

0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00

Starchy foods including potatoes and breakfast cereals

Vegetables

Fruits (Inc. fruit juice)

Milk

Other Dairy Products

Red Meat

White meat

Processed meat

Seafood

Nuts, Seeds, Beans and Legumes (Inc. soya milk, soya mince…

Eggs

Butter, margarine, and oils

High fat and Sweet foods (Inc. cream)

Alcohol

Beverages (tea, coffee, Soft drinks)

Total

Food purchases by UK household in GHGE kg CO2e /person/day

Diet to meet 5th carbon budget Typical UK 2013 diet

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Good news: Sustainable diets are achievable (Reynolds 2016)

✓ Increase Fruit and Vegetable consumption.

✓ Increase in Starchy Foods. 

✓ Decrease processed and red meats, substitute chicken or plant based alternatives.

✓ Reduce “discretionary” high fat and high sugar foods is eaten.

✓ Reduce alcoholic, non alcoholic and hot beverages.

Between ⅓‐½ shift of current diet.

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Securing sustainable, resilient & healthy food supplies for all

Thank you!

Dr Christian Reynolds Knowledge Exchange Research Fellow (N8 AgriFood project)Department of Geography, University of Sheffield @sartorialfoodie