Many dietitians across the globe focus specifically on advising folks on how to eat in ways that are healthy for them. However, dietitians in the UK are joining a burgeoning movement of food leaders in recognizing the impact of what we eat on the world around us. Specifically, the environmental impacts via carbon emissions through food processes across the industry.
Global agriculture is responsible for approximately 24 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. Scientists estimate that if the world adopted a plant based diet, it could lead to a near 70 percent reduction in emissions. In order to reduce the damage moving forward, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has released a new policy encouraging meat reduction and the incorporation of more plant based alternatives.
The new policy reads:
“The BDA believes the profession should be leading discussions on how our food behaviours can affect both health and the environment…
“Health and sustainability can go hand in hand and there are a great many win-wins that can be achieved, and dietitians are in a strong position to combine healthy eating messages and sustainable diet advice, and support consumers to take action.”
This policy is a big step forward, particularly in a culture where food is given out everywhere but food information is scarce.
The BDA will be introducing this new policy to its team next year. With this, more people will have access to the intersectional knowledge about the impacts of our food choice. And with this knowledge, more people may be inclined to choose food with compassion and not convenience.
This post was last modified on December 15, 2020 6:38 am