Scientists call for revised nutritional guidelines, upping plant-based options for the planet

15 Jun 2022 --- National dietary recommendations for animal products should be revised if circular food production systems are taken into account to include environmental sustainability criteria, a new study has revealed.

“The amount of animal products recommended by national nutritional guidelines in Europe could be substantially lowered in favor of more plant-based food. Major environmental consequences of food choices could be addressed through improved agricultural practices,” the researchers note.

Scientists at the universities of Wageningen, Cornell and Zürich, as well as the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, explored five European countries — Bulgaria, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland — with different geographies and cultural habits.

To meet nutritional demands with lowered animal product recommendation, consumption of plant-based food could be increased, the researchers flag.

All national guidelines recommend different animal-source food than would be optimal from a resource-use and environmental perspective.Distorted view
The study found that Sweden and the Netherlands could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12% and 24% and reduce land use by 22% and 24%, respectively. At the same time, the quantity at which most nutrients were provided on a circular diet were comparable to the dietary guideline’s recommendations.

“Right now, the dietary recommendations that people base their food choices on, give a distorted view of the planetary impact of what they eat,” says Renée Cardinaals, second author of the paper and Ph.D. candidate at Wageningen University & Research.

National food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are largely designed from a human health perspective and often disregard sustainability aspects, the study notes.

“Circular food production systems are a promising solution to achieve sustainable healthy diets. In such systems, closing nutrient cycles where possible and minimizing external inputs contribute to reducing environmental impacts. This change could be made by limiting livestock feed to available low-opportunity-cost biomass (LOCB).”

Transforming food systems
According to the researchers, environmental impacts should be a critical consideration when devising national dietary guidelines. Circular food production systems are “essential” to producing food on less land and reducing environmental impacts.

“Only by consistent transformations of food systems in this regard can the estimated environmental improvements be reached,” explain the authors.

The changes include substantial reductions in total animal numbers and animal products, investing in livestock breeds that are better suited to low-opportunity-cost biomass and a shift in the amount of mineral fertilizers and livestock feed imports.

“Although the animal product recommendations in the FBDGs of Bulgaria, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland are neither in their composition nor in their total nutritional value achievable with animal products from LOCB, 45–88% of the protein from animal product recommendations could be met with the proposed circularity principles,” the authors add.

The findings add to a growing volume of research surrounding plant-based diets. A study by Unilever revealed that plant-based diets are better for health and the environment, as partnerships across the industry are paving the way for larger offerings for consumers.

With plant-based options becoming more mainstream, consumers are increasingly eyeing nutritious NPD, as consumers following plant-based diets face vitamin B12 deficiencies.

Edited by Andria Kades

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