Food, Climate and Nature FAQs: Understanding the Food System’s Role in Healing Our Planet

How does my diet affect the planet? Should I change my diet?

Conversations around diet choice and consumer demand are often dominated by extremes. We’re advocating for a little more nuance.

We recognize that a person’s choice of diet is a deeply personal matter that reflects a complex web of cultures, traditions, economics and access. We support flexible food choices and don’t advocate for any particular diet choice – but we do strongly encourage people to learn about the food they eat, the way it’s produced and the trade-offs that are included.

For example, an apple grown organically but shipped across the world has different trade-offs than one grown and consumed locally but with the use of herbicides and insecticides.

There are many diet choices and changes that can benefit the planet. For instance, livestock production (for meat and milk) accounts for 60% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s food. Choosing to eat less meat could lower your carbon footprint, as could eating sustainable fish and shellfish, which can provide healthy protein at a fraction of the emissions of livestock.

And, of the more than 50,000 edible plants in the world, just 15 of them provide 90% of the world’s caloric intake. Rice, corn (maize), and wheat make up 2/3. This lack of dietary diversity is leading to unhealthy nutritional outcomes, along with stress on natural habitats.

By diversifying our meals, we can support crop rotations for farmers and effectively increase biodiversity in our agricultural ecosystems. Choosing diverse grains like buckwheat, millet and sorghum; diverse seeds like quinoa, hemp and chia; and diverse legumes like beans, chickpeas and lentils not only provides nutritional variety, but also creates market demand for farmers and encourages crop rotations that can improve soil health.

Overall, moving to regenerative food systems results in diversified production practices and more diverse diet choices, a win-win cycle for the inextricably linked human and planetary health.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The article discusses the lack of dietary diversity and its impact on unhealthy nutritional outcomes. It emphasizes the need to diversify meals and support crop rotations to improve agricultural ecosystems. This aligns with SDG 2, which aims to end all forms of malnutrition and address the nutritional needs of different population groups.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The article highlights the trade-offs involved in food production and consumption choices. It mentions the impact of livestock production on greenhouse gas emissions and suggests dietary changes to reduce carbon footprints. This relates to SDG 12, which focuses on sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The article discusses the role of dietary choices in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It suggests eating sustainable fish and shellfish as an alternative to meat, which can lower carbon footprints. This connects to SDG 13, which aims to integrate climate change measures into policies and strategies.

SDG 15: Life on Land

The article emphasizes the importance of diversifying crops and supporting crop rotations to increase biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems and improve soil health. This aligns with SDG 15, which focuses on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.

The article highlights the lack of dietary diversity and its negative impact on nutritional outcomes. By diversifying meals and promoting crop rotations, this target can be addressed by improving access to diverse and nutritious food for different population groups.

Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

The article emphasizes the need to consider the trade-offs in food production and consumption choices. By promoting sustainable diets and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production, this target can be addressed by ensuring the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

The article discusses the role of dietary choices in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By advocating for sustainable fish and shellfish consumption as an alternative to meat, this target can be addressed by integrating climate change measures into food-related policies, strategies, and planning.

Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.

The article emphasizes the importance of diversifying crops and supporting crop rotations to increase biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems and improve soil health. By implementing these practices, this target can be addressed by ensuring the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions or implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Percentage of population with access to diverse and nutritious food (Target 2.2)
• Percentage of children under 5 years of age affected by stunting and wasting (Target 2.2)
• Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production (Target 12.2, Target 13.2)
• Carbon footprint reduction through dietary choices (Target 12.2, Target 13.2)
• Increase in biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems through crop rotations (Target 15.1)
• Improvement in soil health through crop rotations (Target 15.1)

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators