Eating for our planet

The document advocates for a shift toward 'planet-based diets' to reduce the environmental footprint of the global food system, which is identified as a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and habitat loss. It outlines five strategies for individuals: choosing sustainable ingredients, balancing animal protein intake with plant-based foods, diversifying crop and nutrient intake, prioritizing minimally processed foods, and reducing food waste. The guide emphasizes that these dietary shifts should be flexible to accommodate local cultures, budgets, and nutritional needs.

• The global food system is a primary contributor to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, acting as a "major driver of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of habitats and wildlife."
• A 'Planet-Based Diet' is characterized as one that provides high human health benefits while maintaining low environmental impacts. Adopting such diets can help "reverse nature loss, halt deforestation and conversion of other habitats like grasslands, reduce water use and pollution, and fight climate change."
• To reduce environmental impact, the document suggests balancing the consumption of fruit and vegetables against animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, and dairy), noting that while these proteins are essential for nutrition, they "have a high environmental impact."
• Dietary diversity benefits both human health and the environment; specifically, crop diversity leads to healthier soils, reduced fertilizer use, and increased resilience against "shocks like pests, diseases, or extreme weather."
• Food processing generally increases environmental footprints due to higher energy use, and the overconsumption of certain imported goods like coffee, cocoa, tea, and spices can lead to "tropical deforestation and wildlife loss."
• Food waste represents a significant loss of energy, water, and land resources; in the United States, nearly 40% of grown food is wasted.

APA

WWF International (2020). Eating for our planet. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/eating-for-our-planet/

Chicago

WWF International. Eating for our planet. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/eating-for-our-planet/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Eating for our planet |date=9 October 2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/eating-for-our-planet/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020eating, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Eating for our planet}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/eating-for-our-planet/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }