Eating for the planet

A report released by the EAT-Lancet Commission has outlined what a diet that’s good for the planet may look like – but what does it mean for the Australian red meat industry?

The EAT-Lancet Commission, a global team of 37 experts, published the Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems report in January. To address the need to sustain a growing population, the Commission recommends changes to diet, production and food waste – all of which could have implications for Australian red meat.

The report, which aims to describe a ‘universal healthy reference diet’, endorses an increase in foods such as vegetable, fruits, wholegrains, legumes and nuts, and suggests limiting red meat to a maximum of 28g of red meat a day in an effort to reduce consumption by half. It’s estimated that universal adoption of this guideline by 2050 would reduce global meat production by 70%.

The fast-growing interest in sustainable diets and climate change means there’s a risk this target could be widely adopted, even if the underpinning evidence base is limited.

Industry’s response
Pip Band, MLA’s Manager – Sustainability Strategy & Stakeholders, said this report is an opportunity for the Australian red meat industry to promote its nutrition and sustainability credentials.

Pip has been working with the authors of Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems to determine what the EAT-Lancet Commission means in an Australian context. She attended the Commission’s Australian launch and participated in its Food Systems Dialogue along with retailers, public health professionals and academics.

“There was a subsequent teleconference with the EAT Global chief executive officer and one of the authors, Marrior Herrero, from the CSIRO, to explore how the EAT-Lancet approach could be localised in Australia with both our consumption data, but also production systems,” Pip said.

“Clearly, we don’t agree with 28g of red meat a day. MLA promotes eating in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which recommend 130g of lean and cooked red meat every second day because it’s an important protein source of iron and zinc.

“However, initial discussions indicate that EAT-Lancet recommendations – applied locally – would not mean a reduction in production, given our export profile and limited arable land.

“When looking at global food security, using available resources like our rangelands and grasslands to graze livestock is a sustainable food production system. In many areas, that’s the only way we can produce food on that land while managing the landscape,” Pip said.

Sharing Australian red meat’s story
According to Pip, it’s important the industry engages in the ‘sustainable diet’ debate in a constructive way.

Here are a few ways MLA is promoting red meat’s nutrition and sustainability credentials:

1. MLA’s Healthy Meals website, which promotes the “So What’s for Dinner?” program, offers nutrition education materials that meet consumer demands for variety, enjoyment and easy, ‘how to’ ideas, including protein and vegetable portion size guides and flexible recipes.

2. The Australian Good Meat platform ensures the community has access to credible information about red meat production to help them make informed choices. 

3. Through the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework, the beef industry is working proactively to ensure it continues to meet community expectations. One example is the industry’s target to be carbon neutral by 2030, while at the same time preserving and enhancing the natural environment that the industry operates in.

Combatting misinformation

Producers share the same concerns as consumers for the environment and climate variability, according to South Gippsland beef and lamb producer Jenny O’Sullivan.

“It’s critical for us to look after our land so we can farm for the long term. We’re front-line environmentalists and many of us have been involved with groups like Landcare for decades – so we’re very concerned with any misinformation about our industry,” Jenny said.

“In Australia, we have one of most efficient production systems in the world as far as water use and conservation. As an industry, we’re moving forward with environmental sustainability.”

Jenny says it’s important all producers are aware of the progress being made in this space and take an active role in both advancing that progress and spreading the message.

“All the evidence-based information is there. Go to websites like the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework and Good Meat. Know it and share it,” Jenny said.