Food carbon footprints and healthy eating
For the nutritional adviser, the question arises as to how healthy eating affects our food related carbon footprint. Unfortunately, the UK Food Standard Agency’s Eatwell Plate does not quantify the desired contribution of food types. This not only makes implementation of the Eatwell Plate difficult for consumers, it makes it difficult to assess the environmental effects of the Eatwell Plate. The Eatwell Plate advises to reduce animal protein and fat whilst increasing plant fibre and fruit and vegetable intakes. From the Cranfield research, we can say with some certainty that adoption of the Eatwell Plate would generally reduce the FCF where meat and dairy consumption is reduced.