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Eating healthier and more environmentally conscious for the same price
Eat healthier, and at the same time, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter, without it costing extra. It is possible for Dutch people if they consume more plant-based instead of animal-based food, according to research by Reina Vellinga at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and RIVM. She defended her doctoral thesis on 27 March in Wageningen.
Researchers have long known that the Dutch national dietary guidelines (the Dutch Healthy Diet Index 2015) promote health. Now it appears that transitioning to this dietary pattern does not increase costs for any population groups, and it is better for the environment globally. Its production requires less land, emits fewer greenhouse gases, and pollutes water less with fertilizers compared to the production for the average Dutch dietary pattern.
This is partly because the guidelines recommend fewer animal products and unsweetened drinks, such as tea and water over sweetened beverages like soda and sweetened dairy drinks. "My research indicates that such sweetened drinks impose a heavier burden on the environment. Moreover, they increase the risk of premature death," says Vellinga.
Changing the food system
Nevertheless, Vellinga believes that Dutch people will not simply change their eating habits. To achieve this, she suggests that the government could take a leading role. This could be done through a package of coherent measures that help consumers make better food choices, for example, by lowering the price of healthy and sustainable foods and increasing the price of unhealthy and environmentally harmful foods. "Furthermore, stores nowadays have an enormous range of unhealthy and unsustainable foods," says Vellinga. That is why she advocates for more guidance on that offer.
Combining measures
Currently, the Dutch government has already implemented various measures in the field of nutrition. However, many of them are not sufficient, according to Vellinga. But a combination of, for example, food choice logos and price adjustments could be effective. Promoting healthy and sustainable foods also guides consumers towards healthy choices, for example, through special offers. Finally, manufacturers have an important role to play. According to Vellinga, it would be beneficial to require them to make foods healthier (less saturated fat, sugar, and salt) or more sustainable (fewer animal ingredients).