Stay away from sweets and pastries, save the planet and your health

The non-essential and junk food consumed by households in Australia and New Zealand exceeds the dietary guidelines recommendations, leading to food-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) and other environmental impacts

Sara Forbes, a nutritionist at the University of South Australia (UniSA), led a review reviewing 20 studies on the environmental impact of food consumption in both countries.

According to a report released by the Federal Government in 2020, Australia is estimated to emit 510 metric tons of carbon dioxide, of which food-related emissions account for 14.

Another report in 2017 found that considering that the water, energy and pesticides used in the food production and packaging process are eventually thrown into landfills, more methane will be released when food waste is decomposed, and food waste accounts for about Australian greenhouses.

Researchers say that unlike New Zealand, the current Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) do not consider the impact of food on the environment and need to be updated

The existing ADG recommends daily intake of "core" foods: fruits and vegetables, grains, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, milk, cheese, yogurt and other foods

It is estimated that these core foods contribute 67% to 73% of Australia’s total food-related greenhouse gas emissions, of which meat, grains and dairy products emit the most greenhouse gases

Non-core or "non-essential" foods include sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, sweets and processed meats, which account for 27% to 33% of total food-related greenhouse gas emissions

In New Zealand, the highest greenhouse gas emissions are meat, seafood and eggs (35%), followed by highly processed foods such as pastries and ice cream (34%)

Other studies have investigated the environmental impact of water used in food production

Irrigators in Australia absorb 8 million liters of water each year to grow crops, but most of them are exported, so it is difficult to accurately reflect the country’s water footprint

Researchers evaluated 20 articles published in the past decade and came to different conclusions

“Freely-chosen foods have higher arable land, water shortages, and ecological footprints

"Considering our planet and our health, it is time to better understand the environmental impact of the type and amount of food we eat

"By 2050, the world's population is expected to reach 10 billion

Worldwide, food consumption and production account for a quarter of total global emissions

Journal Reference :

1. Sara Forbes, Ellyn Bicknell, Ligia Guilovica, Kate Wingrove, Karen Charlton.
   A Rapid Review of the Environmental Impacts Associated with Food Consumption in Australia and New Zealand .
   Current Nutrition Reports , 2021; DOI: 10.
   1007/s13668-021-00374-0 essed November 5, 2021).