This book by Table member Richard Hoffman (Lecturer in Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Hertfordshire) argues that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for both health and the environment. It offers tips for eating healthily in an obesogenic environment.

This report from the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition gives evidence-based recommendations to policymakers (primarily in low- and middle- income countries) on how to transform food systems to provide sustainable, healthy diets for everyone. It includes suggestions on how to improve the availability, accessibility, affordability and desirability of nutrient-rich, sustainably-produced food.

This report from the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change makes recommendations for reducing the UK’s food-related greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the negative health impacts of climate change. The suggestions include: provide clear, accessible advice on transitioning to climate-friendly diets; research the most effective forms of food labelling; require publicly procured food to meet minimum environmental standards; and require post-Brexit food imports to meet UK environmental standards.

This paper examines the global nutrition transition and argues that coordinated action is necessary to reduce household food waste, decrease consumption of animal-source foods, limit the prevalence of overweight and eliminate hunger.

In collaboration with WWF, the UK supermarket Tesco has announced a target of increasing sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 300% by 2025, relative to a 2018 baseline. To meet this goal, Tesco plans to introduce new plant-based products, try to keep prices affordable, work with suppliers to encourage innovation and display meat replacements alongside their animal-based equivalent.

This report from the EAT Forum examines current food consumption patterns and finds that most national dietary guidelines do not integrate both health and environmental sustainability. It finds that halving food-related greenhouse gas emissions in G20 countries by 2050 would contribute towards equitably feeding 10 billion people within planetary boundaries.

This commentary piece, co-authored by FCRN member Elin Röös, argues that the message ‘less but better meat’ needs to be defined more clearly, since there is a risk that the message could actually push livestock production towards more harmful practices.

The FCRN’s Tara Garnett took part in a webinar titled “Do we need to stop eating meat and dairy to tackle climate change?” organised by Carbon Brief. The panel also included Prof Pete Smith of the University of Aberdeen, Dr Helen Harwatt of Chatham House and Dr Modi Mwatsama of the Wellcome Trust. The webinar covered the climate impacts of different food types, carbon sequestration through restoration of native vegetation, health impacts of animal products and the cultural and economic factors influencing dietary patterns. 

In this report, UK non-profit Forum for the Future argues that chefs have an important role to play in providing healthy and sustainable diets. The report sets out a vision of future chef training that focuses less on meat and dairy and more on “ethical, seasonal and sustainably sourced ingredients”.