Tackling UK consumption Sue Dibb, Consultant, Food Ethics Council Friends of the Earth, 15 September 2012

Why we need sustainable diets  1 planet living not 3  Food accounts for around 1/3 rd household footprint  Sustainable diets essential to:  Feeding a growing global population fairly  Stopping dangerous climate change  Tackling under/over nutrition  Degradation of natural resources  Tackle waste  Animal welfare

What are sustainable diets?  UN,FAO definition: “Those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources.”

WWF Livewell Plate  Eat more plants  Reduce food waste  Eat less meat  Cut down on highly processed foods  Buy credible certified sustainable food

 Producers: threats to no

The meat issue

 Health: High levels processed/red meat linked to bowel cancer, heart disease, diabetes  GHG impact: 30% of global GHG emissions  Water, grain and land intensive: 1/3 rd of global grain harvest/80% soya used for animal feed.  Global demand to double by 2050  Animal welfare: Cheap meat = factory farms  Value of pasture & sustainable livelihoods  Less But Better meat consumption

What’s needed?  Government policies to join up health & environmental messages eg to reduce meat by 50% by 2020 (inline with healthy eating advice)  Official UK definition of sustainable diets  Greater public awareness  Supermarkets/food companies to reformulate/meat alternatives/communicate with customers