Moving towards more sustainable healthy diets

Today, about one third of the food produced gets wasted or lost while about 30% of people live malnourished. The existing food systems and diets are also responsible for 70% of freshwater and cropland exploitation and 25% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The challenges we are facing are so critical that the United Nations is organizing in next fall the first ever UN Summit on Food Systems to call on countries all over the world for a radical and rapid transformation of their food systems. 

There is no one single solution to this complex issue, and we all need to join forces. Each of us, through meaningful revisions to our daily life, by changing the way we choose, eat and manage our foods, can help make a shift towards a more sustainable food systems and healthy diets.

Flexitarianism is one of the options to move towards more sustainable diets. As shown in the video, it involves plenty of plant-based foods – such as fruits & vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts – and a moderate intake of animal products, with a recognized place for high-quality nutritious dairy.

As consumers, we all have the power to impact our health and the health of our planet. Whether it is by better understanding where the food we eat comes from and how it is produced, looking more closely at the labels or making conscious choices for more natural and seasonal  food, we can vote for a more sustainable tomorrow through our daily food and drink choices. 

Interested in knowing more? Take up the Sustainable Diets e-learning co-designed by UNITAR and Danone and accessible to all on UN CC: e-learning platform.

At Danone, we fully support this shift towards sustainable diets, from farm to fork, by:

- Integrating soil health into our regenerative agriculture approach, preserving animal health and plant diversity,

- Offering a large portfolio of plant-based alternatives in addition to high-quality dairy,

- Sustaining our focus on health in order to offer, to a growing number of people, nutrient-dense food and drink options, in formats suiting their culture and lifestyles,

- Mobilizing Danone Ecosystem Fund and other stakeholders to impact at scale agricultural practices and change towards more sustainable healthy diets,

- And expanding scientific knowledge on sustainable and balanced diets via Danone Institutes.

Stay tuned for more insights on sustainable healthy diets.

External resources should you wish to dive in on the topic:

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization. Sustainable healthy diets – Guiding principles. 2019. Rome, Italy http://www.fao.org/3/ca6640en/ca6640en.pdf 
• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/19/could-flexitarianism-save-the-planet
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-a-plant-based-diet-and-why-should-you-try-it-2018092614760
• https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-flexitarian-diet
• https://theconversation.com/what-does-a-healthy-diet-look-like-for-me-and-the-planet-it-depends-where-you-live-123470