A recent study conducted by researchers at Hokkaido University and the University of Sydney has unveiled the health benefits of sorghum. “The team identified unique lipids that were known to have anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties” named fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) and characterized the diverse lipid profiles among six sorghum cultivars. ThisContinue reading “Sorghum, a sustainable grain, may have anti-diabetes and anti-inflammatory properties: New research”
Category Archives: Sustainable Food Choices
October 16: World Food Day 2024: Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future – Leave No One Behind
“This year’s #WorldFoodDay theme, “Right to foods for a better life and a better future” spotlights the importance of diversity, nutrition, affordability, accessibility as well as the safety and sustainability of foods, raising awareness about how a greater diversity of nutritious foods should be available in our fields, fishing nets, markets, and on our tables, for the benefit of all. Today, hunger is often worsenedContinue reading “October 16: World Food Day 2024: Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future – Leave No One Behind”
Exploring consumers’ willingness to adopt climate-friendly diets: A collection of research studies
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”
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”
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”
New research finds nearly 90% of proteins tested, even vegan alternatives, contain microplastics
Using less plastic and purchasing and consuming fewer pre-packaged highly processed foods should be on everyone’s sustainability list for 2024. Why is this the case? A new study by researchers at the University of Toronto and Ocean Conservancy published in the journal Environmental Pollution (2024) evaluated microplastics in different types of protein-containing foods in theContinue reading “New research finds nearly 90% of proteins tested, even vegan alternatives, contain microplastics”
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”
More than half of consumers are ‘climatarians’ and show concern for environment, new market research suggests
“Consumers are adapting their attitudes about food to a changing climate and aiming for more sustainable eating habits, research in Tetra Pak’s 2023 Index suggests.” The research also indicates that consumers are gravitating towards healthier products, a trend that is hampered little by economic concerns. “According to Tetra Pak’s Index 2023, based on research conductedContinue reading “More than half of consumers are ‘climatarians’ and show concern for environment, new market research suggests”