Planet-Based Diets - Saving our planet one plate at a time
March 2021
How we're eating today is not good for our health and the planet
A number of studies have looked at global food consumption, and have found that many aren’t consuming enough nutritious food. We’re also overconsuming highly processed food, which contain vast amounts of sugar, fat, and salt, among other unhealthy substances. Meanwhile, most of our protein comes from the consumption of meat items.
In the Philippines, Filipinos are still short of achieving their dietary energy requirements, according to the latest Food Consumption Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute in 2018. Our excessive intake of protein, especially from animal sources, has led to the prevalence of noncommunicable illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer, among others.
Alongside a rise in nutrition-related chronic diseases, we’ve seen an increase in environmental impacts from unsustainable food consumption and production. Agriculture uses 50% of land globally in order to supply food for the growing population. This leads to habitat loss and the extinction of species, further depleting global biodiversity. Sustainable food practices also consume the planet’s natural resources, with resources such as water, topsoil, fishery products, and other food resources at maximum capacity. Production processes and consumption habits in turn lead to approximately one third of all food produced going to waste. Meanwhile, the Agri-food industry contributes to almost a thir of the total greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock production being the largest global source of methane and nitrous oxide— two (2) particularly potent greenhouse gases.
Eating a planet-based diet is good for people and nature - it’s a win-win!
Planet-based diets are made up of dietary choices that are beneficial for both human and planetary health. A planet-based diet is high in human health benefits and low in environmental impacts. They’re a flexible way of considering diverse and healthy food varieties produced sustainably. Watch this animated video by WWF-International to learn more about how a planet-based diet works.
Adopting a planet-based diet can reduce:
- Food-based greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30%
- Wildlife loss by up to 46%
- Agricultural land-use by at least 41%
- Premature deaths by at least 20%
How can we go on a planet-based diet?
1) Choose sustainable foods
Sustainable ingredients have minimal impacts on nature – they are produced responsibly and don’t threaten wildlife populations or their homes.
2) Eat more plants and less animals
Animal-derived foods have higher carbon emissions than plant-based ones. In addition, plant-derived sources are packed with nutrients that can support positive health outcomes.
3) Minimize processed foods - always choose whole foods
The more processed food is, the greater its environmental impact because of emissions created through the production process. More processing often lessens the nutritional quality of your food.
4) Ensure balance and variety of food, not too much of any one thing.
A good balanced diet can include a wide variety of items, like wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, while incorporating items that have less sugar, oils, fats and meat. We can also explore eating more plant-based protein and fat sources such as your nuts, legumes and seeds.
Savour Planet Episode 2: Going on a Planet-based Diet
Savour Planet is a webinar series that aims to demonstrate how to make sustainable dining a way of life. The title "Savour Planet" - a play on “Save Our Planet” - serves as a reminder that it is our responsibility to take care of our planet as we consume natural resources, such as food and water, for our daily needs.
Savour Planet Episode 2 webinar was held on the 26th of February 2021, hosted by WWF-Philippines Ambassador and Miss Earth 2017 winner Karen Ibasco. The webinar had four objectives, to 1) Discuss the impacts of our current diet on our health and the environment, 2) Share plant-based options that can be incorporated into our current diet, 3) Highlight easy plant-based recipes, and 4) Feature a eco-hero who practices a “planet-based” diet. In case you missed the livestream, watch the video replay anytime and anywhere here: Savour Planet Episode 2
Go to https://planetbaseddiets.panda.org/ to learn more about planet-based diets. Visit our website for more sustainable dining tips and watch out for our next events on the WWF-Philippines Facebook page.
References:
WWF (2020). Bending the Curve: The Restorative Power of Planet-Based Diets. Loken, B. et al. WWF, Gland, Switzerland. Retrieved from https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/bending_the_curve__the_restorative_power_of_planet_based_diets_full_report_final_pdf.pdf on 3 March 2021.
The Sustainable Diner project, under Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
The Sustainable Diner and SoilMate Project Team:
Melody Melo-Rijk, Jonna Ellaine Jordan, Lorayne Therese Roque, Alexa Jeanne Lasch, Iris Joy Abrigo, Liezl Stuart del Rosario, Kristan Gabriel Villalon, Jenette Callada, Monique Mahusay
For more information, please contact:
Melody Melo-Rijk
Sustainable Consumption and Production Project Manager
mmelorijk@wwf.org.ph
Jonna Ellaine Jordan
Integrated Marketing Communications Specialist
jjordan@wwf.org.ph
Lorayne Therese Roque
Sustainable Consumer Specialist
lroque@wwf.org.ph
