Eat less meat

Eat less meat and more beans, nuts and vegetables – especially if you live in the rich world. This is what the latest report from the EAT-Lancet Commission, released recently, has said. The EAT-Lancet Commission is a global group of scientists which has developed a set of scientific targets called ‘Planetary Health Diet’ for a healthy, sustainable food system for the residents of this globe. Its goal is to outline how to feed a growing global population by 2050 without exceeding environmental boundaries by defining a universal healthy reference diet that emphasises fruits, vegetables, and nuts while reducing the consumption of red meat and processed foods. Reiterating its “Eat less meat” campaign, the scientists’ group has stated that the shift to vegetarianism could prevent about 15 million premature deaths a year globally, apart from cutting farm emissions by 15 per cent. Food systems, the report said, 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.