The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), the UK government’s independent advisor on sustainable development, was invited by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide input into the government’s vision for developing a sustainable and secure food system. The focus of the study was to examine how changes in UK food consumption patterns could deliver positive sustainability outcomes. Reducing consumption of meat and dairy products was listed as one of three changes likely to have the most significant and immediate impact on making our diets more sustainable, in which health, environmental, economic and social impacts are more likely to complement each other. Meat and dairy consumption was considered one of the “hotspots” that should be given special attention by the government in developing guidance about sustainable diets.
The commission recommended that Defra, the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health work in collaboration to review evidence of the sustainability implications of dietary change towards reduced meat and dairy consumption, using its scientific advisory committees where appropriate, to commission research where there are important gaps in the evidence and to explore ways to engage positively with consumers and the supply chain on the issue.
For more information, see: Setting the Table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets