Dr. Paul Behrens of Leiden University and Sujatha Bergen of the NRDC join HLHP Radio to speak about the connection between our diets, our environment, and our health.
Dr. Behrens breaks down the connection between our food and climate. Our food systems have a wide impact across many different facets of our environment, from energy use, soil degradation, algal blooms, and an overall 15% contribution to the world's climate change problem. The impact of our food systems is higher in areas that heavily farm livestock and dairy, as they release more greenhouse gases. There are ways to improve livestock farming, however, plant-based farming will always have a lower impact on our environment. Dr. Behrens speaks about the trends of our diet over the years, as well as our trends in nutrition and food equity. Over the last few decades, our meat consumption has increased greatly which has caused a decrease in biodiversity. If we're not careful this trend will continue. However, there has been a positive trend rising toward plant-based diets. Our world is calling for the great food revolution, a shift to plant-based nutrition, decreased food waste, and increased sustainable productivity. Dr. Behrens explains how we might do this, by using our land more mindfully and embracing exciting new nutritional innovation. Dr. Behrens closes by reminding listeners small changes make a big difference.
Sujatha Bergen explains that there is a lot of confusion for Americans when they think about what they should eat for their health. Overtime nutritional guidelines have been released by the American Government and health leaders, which has helped to clear up some of the confusion. Unfortunately, however, the USA nutritional guidelines have not always been the healthiest guides. It is a known fact that there is a lot of money and industry influence in these dietary guidelines. For example, in the 2015 guidelines, red meat reduction was strongly recommended to reduce the risk of disease and climate change impacts. In turn, the red meat industry leaders went to congress and fought these dietary guidelines. As a result, this recommendation was buried and not published in the final guidelines in 2015. Sujatha explains that our nutrition is inevitably connected to our health, and while we often think of obesity first there is more to it. Including, drinking water pollution from overuse of fertilizer, antibiotic overuse and antibiotic resistance in humans, and diabetes and other health conditions as a result of high fructose corn syrup additives. Sujatha reminds listeners that if the average American cut the equivalent of one burger a week out of their diets it's equal to taking 10 million cars off the road. We have the power to change our diets, health and environment for the better.
