An informative editorial was published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems on August 16, 2024. The editorial, written by Isabel Simoes Miguel, from Portugal, summarizes a collection of studies published as part of the research topic, “Exploring Consumers’ Willingness to Adopt Climate-Friendly Diets.” “The urgency to mitigate climate change has propelled dietary shiftsContinue reading “Exploring consumers’ willingness to adopt climate-friendly diets: A collection of research studies”
Category Archives: Food Systems
Biodiversity on our plate: The health and nutrition connection
“A diverse diet is a healthy diet. Research has shown that increasing the number of species and varieties we grow and consume can deliver a full range of nutrients and benefits to nourish human health. ” (Borelli and Hunter, 2024) “This is particularly urgent because our food systems fail to provide the nourishment we need. FoodContinue reading “Biodiversity on our plate: The health and nutrition connection”
Edible insects can contribute to sustainable food systems and global food security
Given the numerous positive attributes of edible insects, including a low environmental footprint, high food conversion ratio, rapid growth and nutritional values, a new review published in the journal Scientific Reports (2024) argues that consuming edible insects can play a vital role in promoting a more sustainable food system. Omuse et al. 2024 compiled andContinue reading “Edible insects can contribute to sustainable food systems and global food security”
May 22, 2024: International Day of Biodiversity (IDB): Be a Part of the Plan
“Be part of the Plan”, the theme of IDB 2024, is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the The Biodiversity Plan. International Day of Biodiversity (IDB) 2024: https://www.cbd.int/biodiversity-day The Biodiversity Plan offers opportunitiesContinue reading “May 22, 2024: International Day of Biodiversity (IDB): Be a Part of the Plan”
Soy production – and cattle ranching – linked to “shocking” land clearance in Brazil’s Cerrado and the Amazon, study says
“Nearly 60,000 hectares of forest was cleared in Brazil’s Cerrado and Amazon in late 2023, with likely ties to the supply chains of some of the world’s largest soy exporters including Bunge and Cargill, a report has found. The Cerrado is the second-largest Brazilian biome, and one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Covering 22%Continue reading “Soy production – and cattle ranching – linked to “shocking” land clearance in Brazil’s Cerrado and the Amazon, study says”
Ultra-processed foods linked to early death, obesity, diabetes, and mental disorders: Largest study to date finds
Eating ultra-processed foods raises the risk of developing or dying from dozens of adverse health conditions, according to a new “umbrella review” of 45 meta-analyses. The authors found consistent evidence linking higher intakes of ultra-processed foods with over 70% of the 45 different health outcomes assessed. The umbrella review, a high-level evidence summary, included 45 distinct pooledContinue reading “Ultra-processed foods linked to early death, obesity, diabetes, and mental disorders: Largest study to date finds”
World Obesity Atlas 2024: No area of the world is unaffected by the consequences of obesity
March 4, 2024 is World Obesity Day. This year’s Obesity Atlas, published by the World Obesity Federation, reveals that “No area of the world is unaffected by the consequences of Obesity,” and that: “Rising rates of obesity rates across the world reveal massive gaps in healthcare and nutrition, with poorest populations most adversely affected.” TheContinue reading “World Obesity Atlas 2024: No area of the world is unaffected by the consequences of obesity”
Towards a more holistic understanding of sustainable diets: An ecological public health approach
According to a recent scoping review titled, “Global dietary patterns are not sustainable” published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, a more holistic understanding of the concept ‘sustainable diets’ is needed. There is broad consensus that consumers must be encouraged to shift toward sustainable diets, defined by Burlingame and Dermini (2010) as: “diets with low environmentalContinue reading “Towards a more holistic understanding of sustainable diets: An ecological public health approach”
Food and sustainability: Is it a matter of choice?: A review
A recent review published in the journal Sustainability focuses on results of life cycle analysis (LCA) articles that summarize the current state of food choices on our environment. This narrative review “aims to demonstrate that healthy plant-based choices in our diet are linked to choices beneficial to our environment.” The authors also highlight the opportunitiesContinue reading “Food and sustainability: Is it a matter of choice?: A review”
Environmental and land use consequences of replacing milk and beef with plant-based alternatives: New study
In a new study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production (Costa et al., 2023), researchers investigated the environmental consequences of two independent yet interconnected diet choices in a German context: (i) replacing dairy milk with soy milk, and (ii) replacing beef meatballs with pea protein balls. They related commodity demand to detailed agricultural rotationsContinue reading “Environmental and land use consequences of replacing milk and beef with plant-based alternatives: New study”
Sustainable RDN 