Key points
- Experts have called for a global shift to plant-based food systems to enhance food security, public health and environmental sustainability.
- Plant-based diets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water resources, and support biodiversity, speakers said.
- Stakeholders urged governments and the private sector to adopt integrated policies that align nutrition goals with climate and sustainability objectives.
Main story
Experts in food systems, nutrition and environmental sustainability have called for a transition to plant-based food production and consumption as a critical strategy for strengthening food security, improving public health and tackling climate change.
The call was made during a policy webinar titled “Plant-Based Pathways to Protein Security: Aligning Nutrition with Environmental Sustainability,” organised by the World Agriculture Forum in collaboration with the Plant Based Treaty to commemorate World Environment Day.
Speaking during the webinar, Dr Anita Krajnc, Executive Director of The Save Movement and Global Campaign Coordinator of the Plant Based Treaty, said plant-based protein sources such as beans, peas, lentils, soy products, nuts, seeds and whole grains could adequately meet human dietary protein requirements.
Krajnc noted that increasing the production and consumption of plant-based foods could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ease pressure on land and water resources and contribute to biodiversity conservation.
She warned that the world was facing an unprecedented environmental crisis, with seven of the Earth’s nine planetary boundaries already exceeded, adding that animal agriculture remained a major contributor to global methane emissions.
“Animal-based food production uses about 83 per cent of agricultural land, covering approximately four billion hectares globally. By transitioning to plant-based diets, land use could be reduced by as much as 75 per cent while still feeding the global population,” she said.
Also speaking, Ms Sira Secka, Founder of ENENNFOOF Excellence Foundation in The Gambia, said industrial agriculture and intensive livestock farming were contributing to environmental degradation and growing public health concerns. She stressed the need for healthier and more sustainable food systems capable of meeting the nutritional needs of an expanding global population without placing additional pressure on ecosystems.
Drawing insights from the Danish Action Plan for Plant-Based Food, Dr Rune-Christopher Dragsdahl, Executive Director of the Danish Vegetarian Society, said the global food system was driving five of the seven planetary boundaries already breached, making sustainable production and consumption essential to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion.
The issues
The experts highlighted the growing challenge of balancing food production with environmental sustainability amid rising global populations, climate change and increasing pressure on natural resources.
They argued that conventional food systems, particularly intensive animal agriculture, contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water scarcity and biodiversity loss, posing long-term risks to food security and ecological stability.
The discussion also underscored the need for governments to rethink agricultural and nutrition policies to ensure that future food systems are both environmentally sustainable and nutritionally adequate.
What’s being said
Krajnc said shifting towards plant-based diets offers an opportunity to reduce environmental impacts while creating space for reforestation, carbon storage and ecosystem restoration.
Secka stressed that sustainable food production systems are essential to improving public health outcomes and reducing the environmental footprint of food production.
Dragsdahl maintained that climate change, food insecurity, environmental degradation and public health challenges are deeply interconnected and require coordinated policy responses.
He called on governments, development agencies, businesses and consumers to support sustainable agriculture, responsible consumption and innovation in food production, while increasing public awareness of the benefits of plant-based diets.
What’s next
Stakeholders are expected to intensify advocacy for policies that encourage sustainable food production and consumption practices.
Experts also urged governments to invest in research, innovation and public education initiatives that promote plant-based protein alternatives and environmentally friendly agricultural systems.
The recommendations are likely to feed into broader discussions on climate action, food security and sustainable development as countries seek solutions to growing environmental and nutritional challenges.
Bottom line
Experts say transitioning to plant-based food systems could play a crucial role in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including food insecurity, climate change and environmental degradation. They argue that aligning nutrition policies with sustainability goals will be essential to building resilient food systems capable of supporting both people and the planet in the long term.
