How To Eat Healthy Without Harming The Planet - 10 Steps Towards A Climate-Friendly Diet

Food brings people together, it connects all of us. Leading up to World Food Day, on October 15th we came together for #FoodFutureFridays, held by the new Food Systems Circle hosted by Amani Fellows.

Between the United Nations Food Systems Summit and COP26, our first meeting highlighted the relationship between food and climate. The way the world currently produces and consumes food generally creates a detrimental impact on our climate . At the same time, we are? witnessing the devastating effects that climate change has on our ability to grow food: for instance, Madagascar has experienced agricultural losses of up to 60% due to four years of drought , leading to a dramatic rise of hunger and malnutrition in the country. The countries experiencing the biggest effects of climate change are often the ones that contribute to it the least. In 2019, Madagascar emitted 0.01% of the world’s CO2 share . On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown a lack of resilience in our current food systems.?

How can we co-design a food future that nourishes everyone without harming the planet?

As a special guest, Sofia Cavalleri, joint-PhD candidate at the Stockholm Environment Institute and Chulalongkorn University, Department of EDS: Environment, Development and Sustainability, joined us to share inspiring examples and stories based on her fieldwork in Thailand. Her research focuses on how to reconnect urban consumers in Bangkok with local communities of food producers in the rural hinterlands. Sofia shared her insights on the connection between food and climate, and what a sustainable, climate-friendly diet can look like.

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to food and sustainable consumption. In supermarkets, organic food is often wrapped in plastic , vegan food sometimes travels halfway across the world before being dished on our plate. It is all about balance.?

Sofia has been developing a simplified “compass for a sustainable diet” to guide consumers into a more climate-friendly direction, instead of providing quick fixes. It is based on 3 key questions: who? where? how? We need to ask all these when considering any food or ingredient, to understand its environmental and social impacts. Who produced my food? Where was my food produced? And finally, how was my food produced?

Based on Sofia’s insights as well as the inputs and examples from our Food Systems Circle members, we developed ten key steps to transition towards a more sustainable and climate-friendly diet:

1. Be flexible and open to change

No one can fix food systems alone but we can all contribute with small steps. Keep an open mind and stay flexible. Sometimes change opens paths for healthier diets, climate-friendly meals and a more sustainable production system - besides all that, it can be fun and rewarding to experiment with unknown foods.?

When the pandemic hit, Daniel Humm, New York City chef and owner of a 3-star Michelin restaurant , had to close the “foodie haven”. Having this time to reflect, he stated?

“We realized that not only has the world changed, but that we have changed as well. We have always operated with sensitivity to the impact we have on our surroundings, but it is becoming more clear that the current food system is simply not sustainable, in so many ways.”

When re-opening the restaurant, Daniel Humm and his team changed the entire menu to plant-based meals. That’s bold, disruptive change - and that is what the current food system needs.

2. Recognize your power as a conscious consumer and reconnect to nature?

As consumers, we hold a lot of power. What we buy influences what will be produced. Each item in your grocery list counts as a vote for or against sustainability. As a first step, we can increase the awareness we have about the food we consume and the value chain involved in producing and transporting it. So ask yourself: which stories are you currently supporting with your money?

To answer this question, Sofia shared an example of community-based agritourism strategies in Thailand. Our urban lifestyle usually leads us to disconnect from the root of our food, due to a fast pace of living, unhealthy dietary choices, ultra processed food consumption, and poor physical activity, to name a few. Reconnecting consumers to the source of their food through agritourism or farm visits, is a way to reconnect urban consumers to the source of their food. It is an opportunity to learn about traditional and sustainable agricultural practices from indigenous communities and local farmers.

“Indigenous knowledge is incredible: it is mind-blowing how indigenous communities can make use of the forest without exploiting it too much. Because they live in harmony with nature.

Some rural communities in Thailand are very inspiring as they know how to create added value from the community forest, value that can then be redistributed at the local scale.

Communities of food producers can diversify livelihoods with various sources of income, for example by extracting natural resources and ingredients from the trees to make natural tie-dye”, Sofia explains.

These experiences help us build connections with other people and form communities of health-conscious and sustainability-oriented consumers. This creates a deeper sense of belonging which motivates us to continue our sustainable diets.?

3. Change your diet throughout the year based on local seasons

As seasons change, so does the food that we can produce and harvest. Of course, we can have mangos in Europe in December, but not without a cost. Typically coming from South America or Asia, one kilogram of mango emits 1.73 kilogram CO2 - the equivalent of driving a small car for 15 kilometers.

So why not slightly adapt our diets to what is in season? It is not only good for our health - in terms of micronutrients and greater immune benefits- but also supports local farmers and the planet. It can be fun and foster your creativity to experiment with new food items and recipes in the kitchen. Not sure what’s seasonal? In many places, you can already get seasonal calendars . And if you can’t, follow our next step: go to the field and ask the experts!?

If you want to go the extra mile, you can grow your own food or try to learn about the wild food growing in your area. Maybe you can collect some wild mushrooms, herbs, berries or maroni. Always make sure to consult local experts before you eat anything.

4. Go to the field and meet the real teachers

When we conduct our research on the ground, in the fields, hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart and listen to perspectives and insights of producers and consumers, we are better able to connect the findings to our global food systems. Once understanding these sustainable local solutions, we can scale them up in other contexts. Going to the field and talking to the farmers is invaluable. We can learn so much from them not only regarding the most “organic” and “sustainable” practices, but also in terms of local traditions, which are often preserved by these local grassroots experts.

In her work, Sofia collaborates with a social enterprise founded by two young women that works to connect rural farmers in Thailand with urban consumers in Bangkok. The pandemic disrupted local food systems and made it even harder for farmers to reach their markets. This social enterprise ensures that farmers in Thailand stay connected to their markets, highlighting how connections and technology are essential to unlock transformation.

“We need new generations to lead the way and to use technology to create positive change in the food system. And I believe that we need women as well. The combination of young generations and women can lead to disruptive innovation”, says Sofia.?

5. Inspire others while respecting their culture and traditions

Food habits are a delicate subject. Food is culture and memory. So what if we want to change mindsets and behaviours without disrupting cultures? It is important to set a positive example without being condescending. Everyone is doing the best they can with the knowledge they have at the present moment.

Sofia brought the example of culinary workshops. These are a useful tool to build new positive memories around sustainable production and recipes. Experiencing good food, learning from local communities and enjoying the process of making this food drives acceptance and results in a positive paradigm shift. Plus, this opens up the space to create a common ground between different people with different backgrounds - and potentially start some interesting intercultural conversations around food.

“Culinary workshops allow us to share stories, food and recipes. It is very interesting to see different generations coming together as well as different regions sharing their local knowledge. This is great because it makes us experiment with food and get out of our comfort zone”, Sofia shares.?

Renowned chefs play a unique role in the food system. They have the power to be ambassadors of great food practices, inspiring people to try new dishes and meet local cuisine in a low pressure and fun environment. These food influencers are a trustable source for consumers and they can play a role in promoting behavior change .

6. Enjoy home-made food

Our world seems to move so quickly, everyone is always on the go, fast food and ready meals are integrated parts of our daily lives.?

Why not swim against the current and go back to the kitchen to prepare your own food. It not only allows you to really know what you are eating while reconnecting to the energy source your body needs to function well, it also triggers your creativity and brings you back into the here and now.?

Besides creating awareness about what you eat and having the pleasure of freshly prepared food you also see what goes to waste. Challenge yourself to produce as little waste as possible and reuse or recycle as much as possible.

7. Avoid food waste and support circular concepts

Together with FAO , Sofia currently supports the production of a documentary on urban and peri-urban forestry and sustainable food systems in Bangkok. She shared with us a sneak peek and brought two examples of circular economy concepts applied to food.

At Wat Chak Daeng, a Buddhist temple in peri-urban Bangkok, monks and the local community are co-managing a circular solution to fight food waste. “The monks are real change-makers, they are so inspiring. Leading a simple life, walking barefoot, talking about karma and self-sufficiency and actually implementing sustainability on the ground at the local level”, says Sofia. The monks rescue the food waste from the community which they then use to make compost. They use the compost in their fruit and vegetable garden, which makes this a completely circular solution. Not a single resource is wasted.

Similarly, the Thammasat University campus in Rangsit, Bangkok, hosts the largest urban farming rooftop in Asia . This food is served at the university’s cafeteria and sold to the students and academic personnel through a market, organized periodically. The food waste coming from the cafeteria is then turned into compost and used in the rooftop garden. This is not just a circular, but also an educational model. The students see that these concepts work in practice and are more inclined to follow similar ideas in the future.?

Want to know more? Register for the virtual field trip here.?

8. Make the conversation inclusive

There are so many ways of getting engaged in the food system. One of Sofia’s recommendations was to launch community food system circles with women and youth as protagonists.?

“We need more inclusive, authentic, compassionate conversations and these could happen in any place: a Zoom meeting, a farmers market, an agritourism trip, a cooking class…”, says Sofia.?

Only by having discussions with all actors involved in the food value chain, can we develop trust and break down stereotypes.?

Chefs can play an exceptionally disruptive role here as well . Because of their strategic mediating role and convening position, they connect consumers with producers and have the power to act as influencers. It is up to them to include indigenous food in their meals, cook local recipes, purchase from smallholder farmers and, finally, educate consumers through their menus.

9. Buy locally and consciously

When following a sustainable diet, we need to consider who produced our food as well as how and where our food was produced. We need to be aware of these questions when we go grocery shopping. Who are the communities we are supporting? Who was involved in producing our food? Was there child labor involved? What kind of practices have been used in the production of our food? Does this production harm the environment?

“I didn’t realize the impact of palm oil before coming to Southeast Asia. My friends in Indonesia told me how terrible palm oil production is for their country. They are losing their ecosystems, their beautiful native forests and biodiversity, just because the land is used for palm oil that is exported to Europe.”, Sofia explains. Similar to the concept of seasonal diets, we also need to think about the “where” when we talk about local food: Are we buying food that has travelled a long way, that has high CO2 emissions? Can we find similar local foods at the farmers market around the corner??

10. Recognize the interconnectedness of healthy and climate-friendly food?

Whenever possible, local and seasonal plants should make up the largest part of the food we consume. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition came up with the Double Pyramid model, placing health and climate pyramids next to each other. It clearly shows that the foods that are healthiest for us, have the smallest climate impact and vice versa.??

“This model aims to encourage the adoption of eating styles that are both healthy for humans and respectful of the planet, reducing the impact of food choices on the environment and climate change,'' states the Barilla Center.?

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to our diets. These steps differ based on location, nutritional needs, and personal background. Want to change your food habits? On average, it takes two months to change our habits . Don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t do everything immediately. We don’t need a few people in the world to follow these steps perfectly. To create real change, we need a lot of people who do some of these imperfectly.?

Authors & Contributors:?Sofia Cavalleri, Patricia Lay, Stephanie Sacco, Chandapiwa Olesego Sisila, Jonathan West, Danielle Marques & Janina Peter

Images: Sofia Cavalleri, Hartmut Jungius / WWF-Canon , Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition , Eat Seasonably

About the Food Systems Circle:

The Food Systems Circle is a workgroup of Amani Institute ’s Social Innovation Management programme Fellows in support of the United Nations Food Systems Summit , #SustainableSundays and #GOODFOOD4ALL . We meet once a month for #FoodFutureFriday to discuss food systems, share best practices and convene with key experts to deepen our knowledge and build bridges between various areas of expertise, different countries and diverse backgrounds. If you are interested in sharing your insights with us, send us a message. Join our LinkedIn group to exchange and participate! If you are interested in becoming a Fellow at Amani Institute click here .