A study sponsored by ProVeg International has urged governments across the world to move beyond rhetoric and implement dietary guidelines that promote both health and sustainability.
The study, published in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, stated that clear, evidence-based guidance on plant-rich diets will be instrumental in empowering individuals to make choices that benefit both human and planetary health.
The study concluded that the current national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) still primarily promote the consumption of animal-sourced foods.
Lead author Anna-Lena Klapp said, “Most guidelines recommend mainly animal-sourced foods in the protein group and present milk and dairy as a standalone food group without providing any information about alternative, plant-based food choices."
“While animal-sourced foods can represent an important nutrient source, overconsumption and intensive animal agriculture contribute to the major global challenges that humanity is currently facing."
"These include climate change and biodiversity loss, animal welfare and public health."
“As nations gather in Brazil in November for the COP30 climate summit, they will be discussing how emissions from the food system can be reduced."
"Dietary guidelines are one of the tools that can effectively help achieve this,” she added.
Key findings
The study, which evaluated guidelines from 100 countries, found the following:
- Eighteen per cent of FBDGs do not even mention plant-based sources of protein
- Thirty per cent do not mention plant-based sources of iron
- Thirty-nine per cent do not discuss plant-based sources of calcium
- Sixty per cent of FBDGs contain no position on vegetarian diets (including vegan diets), even though 1.5bn people worldwide follow some form of vegetarian diet.
The paper also identifies the following five crucial gaps that need to be addressed to steer guidelines in a healthier and sustainable direction:
- More inclusive food-group classifications are needed that accommodate plant-based protein sources
- Clearer recommendations are required for limiting the consumption of animal-sourced foods for health and environmental reasons
- Guidance is needed on obtaining essential macro- and micronutrients from plant-based sources
- Plant-based alternatives to animal-based foods need to be included within dietary recommendations
- FBDGs need to provide comprehensive advice on well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets.
“Addressing these gaps is crucial to ensuring that FBDGs remain relevant to a broad spectrum of dietary preferences, including those motivated by ecological, ethical, religious and cultural factors,” Klapp said.
Animal-based foods impact
The paper notes how the livestock sector has the greatest environmental impact in the food system, contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions, greater land and nitrogen use and substantial negative effects on biodiversity.
The livestock sector accounts for about 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with animal-sourced foods responsible for close to 60% of food-related emissions.
In addition, overconsumption of meat, in particular red and processed meat, is associated with an increased risk of obesity, CVD, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer, the study states.