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Dieting for the planet

| Updated: January 21, 2019 21:23:04


Dieting for the planet

In recent times there have been warnings issued by the World Food Programme (WFP) about the need for sustainable agricultural practices to prevent the earth from being worn out by the use of additional fertiliser. The argument relates to the over dependence on animal protein resulting in farmed animal production. The other side of the argument is about not enough vegetables and fruit being consumed as part of a balanced diet. The third side of the argumentation relates to overdoing fish catching without allowing fish to breed naturally. 

The new finding by the Lancet magazine suggests greater focus on vegetables and fruit given the lifeline of animal husbandry and therefore the sustainability of the planet.

That's all good and noble. But given starvation still stalks major parts of the world, while food is inexcusably wasted in others, not enough attention has been provided to redress the imbalance. With crop field sizes losing out to urbanisation and the world's major forests on the decline, vegetable and fruit production is headed the genetically modified route whereby the basic nutrients calculated for healthy diets is being lost. The resulting overuse of fertiliser has now threatened the normal fertility of the earth and it can only be a matter of time before fertility goes into negative mode. But with more mouths to feed and lesser land to go round, organically grown crop produces are simply not enough. Thereby the dependence on genetically modified crops.

The Lancet diet suggests a steak once a month, a hamburger a week and lobsters a few times a year with the rest of the food coming from greens and other colours. In other words, a bit of a war against red meat.  By their own admission the experts say some countries would have difficulty in making available such products at reasonable prices. Farming patterns would have to change and after climate allowances are factored in, the so professed ideal diet may well have to undergo a change. The suggestion is that proteins have to be consumed from non-meat sources thereby reducing the pressure on farming more animals and, in turn, reducing the damaging footprint on the planet. This also allows cattle to reproduce more naturally and breed through natural grazing as opposed to be pumped with chemical-induced growth.

The fast food business thrives on sales of animal protein and in an effort to tackle obesity the United Kingdom is banning fast food advertising in its tube stations. This follows a ban on sugary drink advertising on TV till past prime time and a sin tax on sugary products that has raked in £150 million. Banning may be a thought for countries hit by obesity but it doesn't work in malnutrition-affected countries. The balance of food habits has never been so much in focus as now.

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