Welsh Assembly Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development
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'Setting The Table' poses important questions for Wales
11 December 2009
A new report by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) finds that eliminating waste, cutting fatty and sugary foods and reducing meat and dairy consumption would make the biggest contribution towards improving health and reducing the environmental impacts of the food system.
Setting the Table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets, commissioned by Defra, assessed the environmental and health impacts of changing patterns of food consumption. It concludes that there is strong evidence that many changes in consumption which benefit the environment also have the added advantage of improving nutritional health in the UK.
Our food chain and dietary choices have huge impacts. Over half of Welsh adults and a third of Welsh children are overweight or obese. Agriculture accounts for 11% of Wales’ greenhouse gas emissions.
The SDC’s research found evidence that consuming only fish from sustainable stocks; eating more seasonal food; cutting out bottled water; shopping on foot or over the internet and consuming more wildlife-friendly, organic foods would also contribute towards more sustainable diets.
However, the most significant health and environmental benefits were from reducing meat and dairy; cutting food and drink of low nutritional value – including fatty and sugary foods; and reducing food waste.
Peter Davies, Commissioner For Wales at the Sustainable Development Commission, said:
“In Wales we need to eat in ways that benefit our health and the environment. Farming plays an important part in the Welsh economy and has a vital role to play in providing a sustainable diet. We know that livestock production can sometimes be good for the environment: for example, grass-fed animals on hill farms can result in carbon capture. We are fortunate in Wales to have a food sector is which is building a strong international brand and has a unique opportunity to meet future demand for high quality, more sustainable products at home and abroad. Welsh farmers can profit from supplying low-carbon, healthy and secure food in a way that makes best use of the nature of the climate, culture and geography of Wales.”
“Using the evidence gathered in this report, I hope the Welsh Assembly Government will examine how it can work with farmers to benefit our economy, society, health and environment. This report raises complex issues around meat and dairy production and more work needs to be done to address them. However, where there are problems, let’s deal with them and build on the good work that is already being done in Welsh agriculture.”
Setting the Table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets was commissioned by Defra as part of its Food 2030 project.
