A plant-based diet may make for a healthier lifestyle but it can also go a long way in preserving our planet’s health too. At least, that’s what the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aims to highlight in its most recent report, The Restorative Power of Planet-Based Diets.
The report, which was released last week, explores three things in particular: the current impacts of our dietary preferences on both human and environmental health; the actual impact that can be achieved by changing our diets; and the strategic areas in which dietary shifts can deliver most significant results in tackling the negative impacts of our food systems.
Although the report approaches the issue from a global perspective, it brings the US under the spotlight, pointing the country’s abnormal environmentally-heavy lifestyle and food choices. With that in mind, the report tries to explore different ways the US can shift its current dietary preferences to do its part in preserving the planet.
“The U.S. food system is one of the most important levers we have for solving climate and biodiversity crises, and what we eat and how much we consume matters. Even simple changes to our diets, like eating in line with National Dietary Guidelines, would take us a long way toward positive outcomes for both human health and the environment,” said Melissa D. Ho, senior vice president of freshwater and food for WWF.
“If you can combine these efforts with others — a shift to regenerative and resilient agricultural systems, a less wasteful supply chain, and policies that incentivize producing food with human nutrition and planetary-health at the forefront — we will see positive impacts for people and the planet at a global scale.”
WWF has also released an online tool that lets users see what changes they can make to their diets to help reduce their impacts on the environment.
