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By Agnieszka de Sousa
When a group of
leading scientists and nutrition
experts unveiled a global diet plan several
years ago, few expected it to ignite one of the
fiercest food debates in recent memory. Their
central prescription seemed innocuous: For an
increasingly populous planet to thrive, wealthy
nations should eat less meat and more plants.
But soon after
publication, the report from the EAT-Lancet
Commission became a lightning rod. The authors
were subjected to threats, accused of elitism
and targeted in social media campaigns backed by
the meat industry. Some policymakers embraced its
recommendations, while others, particularly in
the US, dismissed it as a “woke” attempt to take
away meat from people’s plates.
Round two of that
debate has now arrived. Pulling from fresh data
and input from experts in more than 30
countries, the commission released a second
version of its report on Friday, doubling down
on largely the same message: Eat less meat, and
more beans, nuts and vegetables — especially if
you live in the rich world. The shift could
prevent about 15 million premature deaths a year
globally and cut farm emissions by 15%.
“By improving diets
we would improve the environment,” said Walter
Willett, professor of epidemiology and
nutrition at Harvard University and co-chair of
the commission. “There’s an element of urgency
here that has only grown since the last time.”
Food systems
account for about a third of global greenhouse
gas emissions, driven largely by animal
farming, which is a major source of
methane and a drain on land and water resources.
Even if the world transitions away from fossil
fuels, food alone could
push temperatures past the 1.5°C threshold
needed to limit warming. The onus falls
disproportionately on the wealthy: The richest
30% of the world’s population are responsible
for more than 70% of food-related pressures, the
report said.
The commission’s
so-called “planetary health diet” resembles the
Mediterranean diet and other traditional ones
around the world, with recommendations presented
as ranges that allow flexibility, according to
Willett. It’s not pushing veganism, but simply
supporting the idea that animal-sourced foods
should be optional, moderate and guided by a
“1+1” principle: one dairy serving and one other
animal protein source daily. “It allows for
cultural diversity and individual preferences,”
Willett said.
The first version
was widely
cited after its publication in 2019,
appearing in more than 600 policy documents.
Cities such as Milan, London and Tokyo pledged to
align public food procurement with its
recommendations. Policymakers saw it as a
“go-to” guide for integrating sustainability
into dietary guidelines, said Tim
Benton, professor at the University of
Leeds and a food
security expert.
Yet its rollout has
been limited. Global meat consumption is still
climbing and alternative protein sales are
faltering. The pandemic, Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine and soaring food prices have eroded
political and consumer appetite for
sustainability. Meanwhile, the political climate
has shifted with the rise of right-wing
populism. The manosphere and
MAGA-influenced machismo have fueled the
popularity of the carnivore diet.
The new report
attempts to answer some earlier criticism,
including claims that its focus was too Western
and ignored local diets or affordability. This
time, the emphasis is on “just” food systems:
Almost half of the world’s population does not
have access to affordable healthy diets, fair
wages and safe environments.
The commission says
that while the Global North must cut back
sharply, parts of the Global South may need to
increase animal protein intake to address
malnutrition — though not to the levels seen in
wealthy countries.
“We are bringing
all key stakeholders to the table to have
conversations, brave conversations, and really
trying to change mindsets,” said Gunhild
Stordalen, the physician who co-founded the EAT
Foundation and coordinated funding for the
report.
Read the full
story, including how scientists who
wrote the initial report have been portrayed.
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