SUSTAINABLE FEEDING

The damage of too much meat does not end at the level of the individual: as cardiologists explained in Barcelona, the unbridled consumption that characterizes societies is closely linked to global warming. And climate change in turn is responsible for innumerable problems for human health: from respiratory pathologies to malnutrition, destined to increase with the spread of hot and desertified areas. „Human diseases and global warming are undoubtedly interrelated, in many different ways,“ write cardiologists in the document released at the congress
The WHO and many medical associations are taking this into account in their recommendations, but the problem is wide and everyone must do their part. And it is unlikely that interventions at the level of energy, agricultural, urban or transport policies can be successful if the entire population is not aware of the risks associated with climate change „. Information and awareness, therefore, are fundamental. Also because according to a research just released on Food Research International, the circle will end up closing: with the increase of average temperatures in fact the quality of the meat is destined to get worse, because many farm animals suffer from the heat and when they live at high temperatures ( for the pig, for example, the thermometer should not exceed 31 degrees) they give darker, harder, less fat and tasty meats. In other words, less good. Perhaps it is better not to be forced to give up meat for this reason, but think of it first by limiting consumption to avoid bad consequences for us and the planet. These are small gestures that count: eating less meat, but also choosing foods that do not have to travel thousands of miles before reaching our table. In short, an eco-sustainable diet that would help the world to feel a little better and keep us healthier.

The need to reduce supply and demand for products of animal origin is now the dominant thought in the scientific community. Only a significant reduction in the consumption of meat and dairy products will guarantee us a food system that is suitable for the future, for the benefit of humans and the planet, ”says Professor Pete Smith, University of Aberdeen, who took part in the IPCC (Panel intergovernmental climate change policy.

A large literature on the environmental impact of various diets has emerged, with most studies concluding that a diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer foods of animal origin guarantees both better health and environmental benefits, „reads in the report „Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems: Food, Planet, Health“. „If we do not act the world risks missing the Objectives of sustainable development of the UN and the Paris Agreement and today’s children will inherit a seriously degraded planet where a large part of the population will suffer more and more from malnutrition and preventable diseases“, continues the document.The EAT-Lancet Commission, promoted by the scientific journal Lancet, is composed of 37 leading scientists from 16 countries dealing with health, agriculture, political science and environmental sustainability. Launching their study today in Oslo, Norway, they will start a campaign to convince governments around the world of the goodness of their recommendations.

Eat less „and“ eat better

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