Global environmental impacts of a shift from current to sustainable eating habits

2020 Alpro Foundation Award for best scientific publication

Perrine Laroche, Environmental Geography group at VU Amsterdam

Perrine Laroche, a PhD student in the Environmental Geography group at VU Amsterdam, won the 2020 Alpro Foundation Award for best publication. Her research on the Telecoupled environmental impacts of current and alternative Western diets assessed the environmental impact of dietary shift towards more sustainable diets, on a global scale.

Background to the study

In 2019, the important and influential EAT-Lancet Commission report proposed a Global Planetary Health diet. The diet includes only 12% of calories from animal-based foods (less than half of current typical Western diets) plus a greater proportion of wholegrain cereals, vegetables, legumes and nuts.

While numerous studies have estimated the environmental benefits from reduced animal-based food production, there have been fewer examinations of possible environmental pressures from increased demands of other alternative plant-based foods. Laroche and colleagues have reviewed and located the potential environmental impacts of current and alternative US diets.

Study overview

Laroche and team compiled dietary survey data for omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan diets as well as the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health diet, all adjusted to provide 2500kcals per day. They then calculated global land footprints for the various diets and assessed additional environmental impacts on freshwater ecosystems, pollinators and nitrogen fixation.

Key findings

• The total land footprint is highest for the current Average American Diet (AAD), at 5,161m2 per person per year and lowest for vegan diets at 1,057m2

• Land outsourced (outside the USA) to provide foods consumed in the US is greatest for meat-rich diets, and is due mainly to imported beef, milk and cattle feed

• Imported foods higher in vegan and vegetarian diets such as cashew nuts, avocados, olives and oranges, may be dependent on pollinator friendly environments, and may create pressure on freshwater resources in dry areas

Conclusion

A dietary shift towards plant-based diets in the US will lead to lower land footprints both nationally and abroad, but replacement foods may create additional environmental pressures in specific areas.

"Global benefits of dietary changes should not be realised at the expense of local environmental contexts."

Perrine Laroche

Perrine Laroche was interviewed by leading nutrition writer Ursula Arens. Listen to the interview on the MyNutriWeb website.

Read Perrine Laroche's original research.

Find out more about the Alpro Foundation Awards.