The Scottish Diet

The report finds that the average Scottish diet has a food Footprint of 0.75 global hectares (gha) per person, with meat being the primary driver of environmental impact. Transitioning to a diet based on healthy eating recommendations can reduce this Footprint by 15% to 25%. Further reductions are possible through vegetarianism, sourcing local produce, and choosing organic options, with an ideal 'Best Diet' (healthy, vegetarian, local, and organic) reducing the Footprint by approximately 40% to 0.46 gha/cap.

• The average Scottish food Footprint, considering only food consumed at home, is 0.75 global hectares (gha) per person, with meat contributing the most to this impact due to land requirements for grazing and fodder, as well as energy used in production and distribution.
• Adopting a diet based on Scottish healthy eating recommendations—emphasizing fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain foods with moderate animal products—can reduce the food Footprint by between 15% and 25%.
• A vegetarian diet that includes moderate amounts of milk and eggs can further reduce the environmental Footprint by 23% when compared to a standard healthy diet.
• Sourcing food locally within the UK significantly lowers environmental impact; buying British food instead of imports can reduce the food Footprint by 54% compared to a diet consisting entirely of imports.
• The 'Best Diet'—defined as one that is simultaneously healthy, vegetarian, local, and organic—reduces the Scottish food Footprint by approximately 40% (to 0.46 gha/cap) compared to the current average.
• Analysis of school meals in North Lanarkshire showed that the 'Hungry for Success' menu had a Footprint 42% lower than the previous menu, largely because it contained half the amount of animal products and 83% fewer added fats.
• Organic food consumption in the UK is estimated to reduce the average food Footprint by an additional 2%.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). The Scottish Diet. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/scotland-diet.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. The Scottish Diet. n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/scotland-diet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=The Scottish Diet |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/scotland-diet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendscottish, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{The Scottish Diet}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/scotland-diet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }