WRI released Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future in April 2016, finding that for people who consume high amounts of meat and dairy, shifting to diets with a greater share of plant-based foods could significantly reduce agriculture’s pressure on the environment. Below, we respond to some queries about the methods and findings.
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A disappointing experience in forest conservation laid the groundwork for marketing expert Daniel Vennard to lead WRI's Better Buying Lab. The initiative will bring together leading food service companies, manufacturers and restaurant chains to shift consumers towards more environmentally friendly plant-based proteins.
When people think about food and sustainability, they typically focus on how the food is produced—is it locally sourced, pasture-fed or organic? New WRI research shows that the question of what is eaten is just as important.
Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future
Creating a Sustainable Food Future, Installment Eleven
Installment 11 of Creating a Sustainable Food Future shows that for people who consume high amounts of meat and dairy, shifting to diets with a greater share of plant-based foods could significantly reduce agriculture’s pressure on the environment. It introduces a...
To help shift people’s diets, we propose a new framework based on proven private sector marketing tactics: the Shift Wheel.
Shifting the Diets of High Consumers of Animal-Based Foods Could Significantly Reduce Per Person Agricultural Land Use and GHG Emissions
This analysis shows how, among high-consuming populations, the three diet shifts could significantly reduce per person agricultural land use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Like overconsumption of calories, overconsumption of protein widens the food gap. Furthermore, animal-based foods are typically more resource-intensive and environmentally impactful to produce than plant-based foods.
Overconsumption of protein occurs in all of the world’s regions, and it is rising in developing and emerging economies. In 2009, the average person in more than 90 percent of the world’s countries and territories consumed more protein than estimated requirements.
New research from World Resources Institute finds the average American could cut their diet-related environmental impacts nearly in half just by eating less meat and dairy. Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future presents solutions to the challenge of feeding a growing population by reducing animal protein consumption, especially beef, and helping shift billions of people to more sustainable diets.