Food nutrients | TableDebates

Defining a nutritionally healthy, environmentally friendly, and culturally acceptable Low Lands Diet

This paper by FCRN member Corné van Dooren and colleague Harry Aiking has been published in the International Journal of LCA. The study quantifies the historical Dutch diet of 80 years ago, based on cultural history research. The researchers calculate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and land use (LU) of this diet, using actual LCA data for the 206 most consumed products, and the health score, based on ten nutritional characteristics.

Global Panel’s Policy Brief: Climate-smart food systems for enhanced nutrition

Policy makers can make a significant difference to ensure healthy diets for people at every stage of life. The Global Panel’s policy brief Climate-smart food systems for enhanced nutrition urges decision makers to adopt a pro-nutrition lens while protecting and promoting agriculture in the face of climate change. Ahead of the Paris climate negotiations, Climate-smart food systems for enhanced nutrition explains the challenges of meeting both agricultural and nutritional needs in the face of climate change. It identifies specific opportunities for policy change that can simultaneously enhance food and nutrition security. The panel writes:

Fossil fuel emissions threatens protein in crops –diets of the world’s poorest most hardly hit

A new paper published in Global Change Biology looks into the effects of increasing CO2 levels on protein in crops. The study finds that not only can increased CO2 be a problem for food security through climate change, but it can also directly impact the nutritional value of crops.

Opinion piece in The Economist by ILRI Director: “The Meat We Eat, the Lives We Lift - Livestock (like people) are different the world over”

In this article published in the Economist, Jimmy Smith, director of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) argues that the livestock issue requires a differentiated approach.

Senior nutrition can emulate the growth potential of infant formula

This article highlights one of the approaches the dairy industry is taking to create new markets for dairy consumption.

The potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the UK through healthy and realistic dietary change

This study focuses on UK diets. It finds that if in average diets conformed to WHO recommendations, associated GHG emissions would be reduced by 17%. Further reductions of up to 40% can be achieve through dietary shifts that include a reduction in animal products and processed snacks, and more fruit and vegetables. Abstract and conclusions as follows:

Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health –new study compares Mediterranean, vegetarian and pescetarian diets

This major study compiles and analyses global-level data to assess relationships among diet, environmental sustainability and human health. It evaluates the potential future environmental impacts of the global dietary transition before exploring some possible solutions to the diet–environment–health trilemma.

New study calculates and compares the carbon footprint of food groups based on mass, calorie content and nutrient density

In this study, 483 food items (developed by the Casino Group retailer company) were grouped into 34 categories and then 5 major food groups; meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, processed fruits and vegetables, grains and other foods and sweets. The aggregated average carbon footprints of the categories and major food groups were presented per 100 gram of product, per 100 kcal of product and per two different nutrient density scores including six and 15 nutrients respectively.

The susDISH analysis method – Sustainability in the catering industry

The booklet The susDISH analysis method – Sustainability in the catering industry, taking account of both nutritional and environmental aspects in recipe planning is published by the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences of the Halle-Wittenberg University.