How healthy diets feed into sustainability

As explained by Dr Joanna Trewern, Head of Consumption for WWF-UK, in Issue One of Sustainable Food Digest, 

“Transitioning to more sustainable diets will deliver a triple win for climate, nature and people. Aligning food production and nutrition to deliver more diverse diets will bring benefits for climate and nature. The provision of healthy, diverse diets will require greater agrobiodiversity, facilitating a shift away from input-intensive monoculture systems and restoring soils and nature. Prioritising the production of nutritious food for direct human consumption will enable us to halt the expansion of new agricultural land and preserve natural habitats.” 

The global food systems we have are not sustainable. Agriculture as it looks today is simultaneously a deeply destructive contributor to the global climate crisis and a victim of shifting environmental conditions. Without action, we will fail to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and those outlined in the Paris Agreement. We urgently, desperately need to rethink both how we eat and how we produce food. 

In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission (a group of 37 scientists from 16 countries working in the fields of human health, nutrition, economics, agriculture, political sciences and environmental sustainability) developed data-driven global scientific targets that define a “safe operating space” for food systems. These targets focus on two key areas that apply to all people and our planet: healthy diets and sustainable food production, two sides of the same coin. 

What does a healthy, sustainable diet look like? 

The dietary pattern defined by the Commission is a flexible one that consists largely of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and unsaturated oils; includes a low to moderate amount of seafood and poultry; and includes minimal quantities of red meat, processed meat, added sugar, refined grains and starchy vegetables. According to the Commission, global adoption of this pattern of eating would provide major health benefits, including a large reduction in total mortality. 

The research from SAPEA released in late June reflects the same priorities, saying that European diets need to shift towards “more plant-based ingredients, rich in vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and pulses. Our diets should be limited in red meat, processed meat, salt, added sugar, and high-fat animal products, while fish and seafood should be sourced from sustainably managed stocks. In good news, the recent Eating for Net Zero report from The WWF concluded that achieving this healthy, sustainable national diet (referred to as the ‘Livewell diet’) is possible for the UK, within current social norms and without costing more. 

What’s good for us is good for the planet 

Awareness is growing around the connections between healthy diets and a healthy planet. The 2023 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – released in June this year – for the first time included environmental considerations in its outline of the optimum diet for those in Nordic and Baltic countries. These reports have been published since the 1980s, funding scientists and other relevant experts in their work to compile the best available data on nutrition. As of this year, the research now combines data on what will optimise public health with those regarding environmental impact, presenting the best available recommendations for how to eat for the health of Nordic bodies and for the planet.  

As explained by Karen Ellemann, the Secretary General for the Nordic Council of Ministers: 

“The decision to let this edition integrate environmental aspects is well aligned with our global commitments, and with the Nordic Vision to be the most sustainable and integrated region by 2030. We cannot, and will not, turn a blind eye to the scientific evidence of how our consumption impacts our planet.” 

Research like this confirms what we at The Sustainable Restaurant Association have believed since we were founded in 2010. As the report says, “Among the food groups, there are, in general, few conflicts between a healthy diet and an environment-friendly diet.” 

It’s clear that there is an undeniable need to ensure that the average diet becomes one that nourishes both people and planet. 

"Policies must address the whole food environment” 

In June 2023, a group of top scientists from across Europe advised the European Commission on how to transform European food consumption to become healthier and more sustainable, in response to a request from the College of Commissioners to the Scientific Advice Mechanism to inform the revision of the Farm to Fork strategy. The advice stressed that, to make sustainable, healthy food an easy and affordable choice, policies must unburden the consumer and address the whole food environment. 

“In order for Europe to achieve its health and sustainability goals, the way we produce, distribute and consume food must change, and this cannot be left entirely up to the consumer,” said Professor Eric Lambin, member of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission. 

Professor Erik Mathijs, the chair of the SAPEA working group that reviewed the scientific evidence to inform these recommendations, said, “Policies should address the whole food environment, anywhere where food is obtained, eaten and discussed, such as shops, restaurants, homes, schools and workplaces, and increasingly also digital media.”  

With great power comes great responsibility 

This research confirms some of the findings within the previously mentioned WWF report, emphasising that diets are not just a matter of personal preference, but are highly influenced by our food environment. Consumer food choices are swayed by “what is available, affordable and accessible, and how it is marketed”. This gives the hospitality sector an enormous power when it comes to the dietary choices our customers make every day – especially with people eating out in record numbers worldwide. With this comes the responsibility to effect positive change, in terms of both public health and environmental impact. We sit at the crossroads between consumers and producers, with the opportunity to improve the food system on a global scale.  

We will not meet our climate targets without changing how we eat, and this will not happen if we expect individuals alone to make the change. We can help to fix the food system and ensure that good food – good on every level – is available and accessible for everyone.  

Feeding people well 

This is why ‘Feed People Well” is one of the 10 pillars of the Food Made Good Standard, our comprehensive sustainability accreditation for the hospitality industry. Food businesses have an important role to play in educating their guests around better food choices and promoting healthier (yet still delicious!) dishes and drinks.

The purpose of this pillar is to encourage healthy eating and drinking, in line with the international scientific guidelines set out by the EAT Lancet Commission and WHO. For businesses undertaking the Standard, this section of our evaluation looks at how they are working to create dishes that are not just delicious, but healthy and nutritious, too. We encourage restaurants to design menus in line with scientific or public health guidelines and to promote healthier menu choices to diners.