Conversation on 'less but better' meat diet needed.

Because of the environmental impacts of meat production, sustainable eating emphasizes eating less meat, and especially less red and processed meat. Here, barriers and enablers to reducing meat intake, and perceptions of sustainable diets, were examined among adults with low income, who often face barriers to food access and choice. The implementation science framework COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior) model was used to contextualize the findings and inform behavior change strategies. 20 adults in Los Angeles County with low incomes (<300% FPL) participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Interviewees were asked about their meat intake behaviors and perceptions, barriers and enablers to reduce meat intake, including red and processed meat, and perceptions of sustainable diets. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five major themes emerged: (1) Interviewees expressed positive attitudes toward eating less red and processed meat, (2) Self-efficacy, knowledge, and skills related to selecting and preparing alternatives enabled meat reduction; (3) Health-related concerns related to reduced meat intake, and the high cost of meat alternatives, were barriers to reduction; (4) Interest in sustainable eating was high; However, (5) sustainable diets are not the current norm, and interviewees described competing priorities and perceptions that these diets are unattainable. Barriers and enablers to meat reduction spanned different COM-B components, and barriers to sustainable eating within the "opportunity" and "motivation" components emerged through interviews. Interviewees were interested in consuming more sustainable diets, but faced barriers to reducing their meat intake and adopting sustainable diets. For example, interviewees perceived meat reduction as an important way to save money and benefit their health, yet also expressed concerns related to the unattainability of sustainable diets and had health concerns related to meat reduction. This suggests there is a need for clear communication and education, as well as interventions that strengthen enablers while addressing unique barriers faced by urban populations with low income, such as the high cost and accessibility of plant-based foods.

Stages of Change toward Meat Reduction: Associations with Motives and Longitudinal Dietary Data on Animal-Based and Plant-Based Food Intakes in French Adults

The terms ‘Nordic countries’ or ‘The Nordics’ include the five countries Denmark, Finland, Island, Norway, and Sweden. This review includes evaluation of the Nordic countries against Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)/World Health Organizations’ (WHO) guiding principles for healthy, sustainable diets with respect to environmental impact (principles #9 – #13) and sociocultural aspects (principles #14 – #16). A food systems perspective is taken to summarize and discuss the most important challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainable diets. Food system, food security, self-sufficiency, and resilience perspectives are applied. The information can underpin decisions when developing and implementing Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) in the Nordics.None of the Nordic countries are on track to reach the 2030 UN climate and biodiversity goals. We describe how food production, processing, and consumption contribute to these and other environmental challenges, and what kinds of dietary changes/transitions consistent with these goals are required.A major challenge is the high production and consumption of meat and too low consumption of fish, vegetables, and fruits. Meat production is a major source of emissions and, together with farmed fish, heavily dependent on imported feed ingredients, leaving a large land-use and water footprint in exporting countries while domestic land resources are not used optimally. Dietary patterns have changed drastically over the past 50 years, and in large parts of the population, meat consumption has doubled since the 1970s, rendering historic food culture less useful as a basis for present-day recommendations. The Nordics have Europe’s lowest use of antibiotics in animal and fish production and have made some progress in reducing food waste along the food chain. A major opportunity is better alignment of food production and consumption based on local or regional production potentials, in conjunction with better and more constructive integration with the global food system while integrating novel technologies to reduce emissions and resource use.

Background: The climate emergency is now widely acknowledged with an international rise in environmentalism to maintain planetary habitability. Most greenhouse gas emissions from food production are caused by energy and water consumption. Conscious and responsible consumer behaviour is a long-term process that heavily depends on social, political, and commercial considerations to achieve the sustainability paradigm. The current South African food system and emanating consumer food choices directly impact climate change. South Africans are consuming resource-intensive foods, a diet high in animal foods and processed foods. This is evident in the high prevalence of obesity, which currently co-exist with stagnant high levels of stunting. South Africa is regarded as food secure, but the divide in access to resources and high unemployment continues to render a significant proportion of citizens’ food and nutrition insecure at the household level. In South Africa, subsistence agriculture has been eroded by apartheid land policies and overcrowding. Inadequate agricultural extension services have resulted in rural households increasingly relying on processed food from the formal retail system. Policy actions to promote sustainable diets have been superseded by other climate change agendas as more pressing in South Africa, and thus, little is known about the environmental consequences of diet and food choices. The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) forefronted nutrition in the agenda, advocating the development of policies with cobenefits for nutrition and the environment, mitigating the impact of climate change on human health and well-being. In this study, sustainability will be explored from the young consumer perspective to advance transformative strategies for sustainability, climate change goals, and enhanced health. Aim: This study aimed to investigate food and nutrition sustainability knowledge and practices among university students at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and to appraise the diet quality and the impact of diet on the environment, culminating in an event to advance consciousness towards food and nutrition sustainability. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, awareness, knowledge and attitudes toward food and nutrition sustainability were investigated among 405 registered university students at the DUT using a validated questionnaire. Respondents were conveniently selected at key hub areas at the university and recruited through informed consent. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square goodness-of-fit-test and one sample t-test. Dietary data of respondents was captured through the 24-hour food recall using the multiple pass method for two nonconsecutive days, including a weekend day by trained field workers. The repeated 24-hour food recall data was captured onto the FoodFinder 3 software program of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), to analyse the diet; the data was run through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The prevalence of inadequacy (POI) was calculated using the cutpoint method, highlighting specific nutrient deficits among the men and women. The dimensions of diet quality were further assessed for nutrient adequacy and non-communicable disease (NCD) risk using the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS). The environmental impact of respondents’ diet was calculated using the Plate Up for the Planet carbon footprint calculator, which estimated the amount of CO2 produced per kilogram of specific foods. Lastly, the South African Food Boost University Challenge (SAFBUC) was developed using a student-led participatory approach and implemented to raise awareness about food and nutrition sustainability among students at DUT. Results: Regarding knowledge and awareness of food and nutrition sustainability, a substantial 54.8% of students were unfamiliar with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the remaining 45.2% heard of it but lacked knowledge. Significant proportions of students never heard of product environmental footprint (65.2%), life cycle assessment (66.2%), greenwashing (64.9%), and food miles (58.5%) (p &lt; 0.001). A significant 77% (n = 313) of students relied on the internet as the primary source of information about foods that do not harm the environment (p &lt; 0.001). There was significant agreement that students knew what a healthy diet comprised of; they understood the impact of a diet on health, and they knew what a sustainable diet consisted of (p &lt; 0.001). One of the food choice drivers that contributed to students being unable to have a healthy diet is that they found it difficult to avoid unhealthy food options (n = 120), and some claimed that the cost of healthy foods was too expensive (n = 103). Food preferences and taste were significant, followed by cost and ease of purchase (p &lt; 0.001). Thirty-two-point-six per cent of respondents rarely looked for any eco-label on the packaging to evaluate a product, 30.9% rarely considered the environmental friendliness of the products they purchased, and 29.4% seldom paid attention to where the food was produced or grown. Regarding diet, this study revealed that while most male respondents met or exceeded their carbohydrate (310.8 g) and protein (88.06 g) needs, which were well above the Estimated Average Requirements (130 g and 56 g, respectively), they exhibited notable deficiencies in various essential micronutrients, such as calcium (74.3% showed a POI), magnesium (96.7% showed a POI), vitamin D (92.8% showed a POI), vitamin K (89.5% showed a POI), and folate (94.1% showed a POI). The data highlighted several critical nutrient inadequacies among the women, particularly in dietary fibre, calcium (94.0% showed a POI), magnesium (93.1% showed a POI), vitamin D (93.1% showed a POI), vitamin K (83.1% showed a POI), and folate (92.3% showed a POI). The GDQS was used to assess diet quality, nutrient adequacy and NCD risk among respondents. This study showed that 99% of students were at high risk for developing nutrient inadequacy and associated NCD risk. In this study, the carbon footprint from the diet was higher for males (308060 CO2e) compared to females (23910 CO2e). To promote food and nutrition sustainability, the SAFBUC was implemented to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. This university-wide challenge allowed students to develop products using fruits and vegetables that they would like to consume. Seven products were developed among students from various faculties in the university. The products were showcased at a campus event, and students were invited to taste samples and obtain information about the sustainability of the products. Students and staff conducted sensory analyses of the developed products. The top three products were: fruit and yoghurt popsicles, sweet potato long chips, vegetable pasta, tangy delights (yoghurt with strawberries and chocolate popsicles), ultimate veggie burger, sweet potato, avocado and feta muffins and an okra smoothie. Conclusion: This study highlights the lack of knowledge and awareness related to food and nutrition sustainability among young university adults. The study underscores the need for targeted educational interventions to bridge the knowledge gap and empower young adults to make informed and sustainable food choices. The study’s objectives were achieved, and implementing the SAFBUC at the DUT shows tremendous promise for success at the higher education institution level. The food environment within university campuses has a significant impact on the diet of students. Therefore, policy interventions to change the university food environment and create a sustainable food system are imperative for the future of the youth in South Africa.

Arguing for a vegan economy, this book explains how we can and should alter our eating habits away from meat and dairy through sociocultural evolution. Using the latest research and ideas about the cultural ecology of food, this book makes the case that through biological and, especially, cultural evolution, the human diet can gravitate away from farmed meat and dairy products. The thrust of the writing demonstrates that because humans are a cultural species, and since we are evolving more culturally than biologically, it stands to reason for health and environmental reasons that we develop a vegan economy. The book shows that for many good reasons we don’t need a diet of meat and dairy and a call is made to legislative leaders, policy makers, and educators to shift away from animal farming and inform people about the advantages of a vegan culture. The bottom line is that we have to start thinking collectively about smarter ways of growing and processing plant foods, not farming animals as food, to generate good consequences for health, the environment, and, therefore, animals. This is an attainable and worthy goal given the mental and physical plasticity of humans through cooperative cultural evolution. This book is essential reading for all interested in veganism, whether for ethical, environmental, or health reasons, and those studying the human diet from a range of disciplines, including cultural evolution, food ecology, animal ethics, food and nutrition, and evolutionary studies.

Animal board invited review: Animal source foods in healthy, sustainable, and ethical diets – An argument against drastic limitation of livestock in the food system

Simple SummarySensors, routinely collected on-farm tests, and other repeatable, high-throughput measurements can provide novel phenotype information on a frequent basis. Information from these sensors and high-throughput measurements could be harnessed to monitor or predict individual dairy cow feed intake. Predictive algorithms would allow for genetic selection of animals that consume less feed while producing the same amount of milk. Improved monitoring of feed intake could reduce the cost of milk production, improve animal health, and reduce the environmental impact of the dairy industry. Moreover, data from these information sources could aid in animal management (e.g., precision feeding and health detection). In order to implement tools, the relationship of measurements with feed intake needs to be established and prediction equations developed. Lastly, consideration should be given to the frequency of data collection, the need for standardization of data and other potential limitations of tools in the prediction of feed intake. This review summarizes measurements of feed efficiency, factors that may impact the efficiency and feed consumption of an animal, tools that have been researched and new traits that could be utilized for the prediction of feed intake and efficiency, and prediction equations for feed intake and efficiency presented in the literature to date.Feed for dairy cattle has a major impact on profitability and the environmental impact of farms. Sustainable dairy production relies on continued improvement in feed efficiency as a way to reduce costs and nutrient loss from feed. Advances in breeding, feeding and management have led to the dilution of maintenance energy and thus more efficient dairy cattle. Still, many additional opportunities are available to improve individual animal feed efficiency. Sensing technologies such as wearable sensors, image-based and high-throughput phenotyping technologies (e.g., milk testing) are becoming more available on commercial farm. The application of these technologies as indicator traits for feed intake and efficiency related traits would be advantageous to provide additional information to predict and manage feed efficiency. This review focuses on precision livestock technologies and high-throughput phenotyping in use today as well as those that could be developed in the future as possible indicators of feed intake. Several technologies such as milk spectral data, activity, rumen measures, and image-based phenotypes have been associated with feed intake. Future applications will depend on the ability to repeatably measure and calibrate these data across locations, so that they can be integrated for use in predicting and managing feed intake and efficiency on farm.

Ensuring the sustainability and circularity of mixed crop-ruminant livestock systems is essential if they are to deliver on the enhancement of long-term productivity and profitability with a smaller footprint. The objectives of this study were to select indicators in the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainability of crop-livestock systems, to assess if these indicators are relevant in the operational schedule of farmers, and to score the indicators in these farm systems. The scoring system was based on relevance to farmers, data availability, frequency of use, and policy. The study was successful in the assemblage of a suite of indicators comprising three dimensions of sustainability and the development of criteria to assess the usefulness of these indicators in crop-ruminant livestock systems in distinct agro-climatic regions across the globe. Except for ammonia emissions, indicators within the Emissions to air theme obtained high scores, as expected from mixed crop-ruminant systems in countries transitioning towards low emission production systems. Despite the inherent association between nutrient losses and water quality, the sum of scores was numerically greater for the former, attributed to a mix of economic and policy incentives. The sum of indicator scores within the Profitability theme (farm net income, expenditure and revenue) received the highest scores in the economic dimension. The Workforce theme (diversity, education, succession) stood out within the social dimension, reflecting the need for an engaged labor force that requires knowledge and skills in both crop and livestock husbandry. The development of surveys with farmers/stakeholders to assess the relevance of farm-scale indicators and tools is important to support direct actions and policies in support of sustainable mixed crop-ruminant livestock farm systems.

Multi-omics analysis revealed that oxidative phosphorylation contributed to the heterosis for feed efficiency in laying chickens

Improving feed efficiency is a key factor in the sustainable development of the livestock industry. Livestock breeds with the low residual feed intake (RFI) trait can reduce feeding costs and increase economic benefits. The rumen metabolome is a pivotal variant affecting ruminant feed efficiency, but current research often ignores sex effects on both. The dynamic changes in rumen metabolites in male and female sheep with different RFI were studied to reveal the sex-specific metabolites and pathways related to feed efficiency. By recording the initial body weight, final body weight, and dry matter intake of 345 Chinese Tan sheep, 14 (male: female = 1:1) with extremely low RFI and 16 (male: female = 1:1) with extremely high RFI were selected for non-targeted metabolomics analysis of rumen fluid. Among the 610 metabolites identified, N-acetylneuraminic acid, isoamylamine, and punicic acid had greater content in female sheep with low RFI (AUC > 0.7). In comparison, 29 metabolites had greater content in the rumen fluid of male sheep, including malic acid and 17% free fatty acids. And they were enriched in riboflavin metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and histidine metabolism pathways. The results show that sex affects rumen metabolism and the RFI trait. Given differential metabolite function studies, male sheep may rely on greater concentrations of malic acid and B vitamins to participate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and achieve higher energy utilization efficiency. These findings provide insights into the differences in rumen metabolites linked to the RFI trait and sex differences in sheep.

VR outreach and meat reduction advocacy: The role of presence, empathic concern and speciesism in predicting meat reduction intentions

Cet article porte sur l’évolution récente (depuis 2000) de la localisation des productions animales (lait de vache, viande bovine, porcs et volailles) au sein des Etats membres de l’Union Européenne. En utilisant les dernières données statistiques disponibles à un niveau géographique fin, une analyse est conduite sur les processus de concentration géographique et de spécialisation productive des territoires. Les forces qui influent sur ces processus ne sont pas nouvelles et ont déjà fait l’objet de nombreux travaux d’économistes au fil du temps. Elles concernent principalement les avantages comparatifs, les économies d’échelle et d’agglomération ainsi que la qualité de la structuration industrielle et commerciale. Si les normes environnementales (directive Nitrates, Natura 2000…) et les mesures du développement rural (soutiens spécifiques aux agricultures des zones défavorisées) constituent un levier pour freiner voire diminuer la concentration animale, force est de constater que leur influence est souvent moins grande que les forces évoquées ci-dessus. La spécialisation productive des territoires demeure cependant un processus complexe. Une analyse de la co-localisation des productions animales met en évidence le fait que les productions de granivores (volailles et porcs) ont tendance à se localiser dans les zones géographiques similaires. Cependant, l’association porcs et vaches laitières est la plus fréquente dans les zones les plus denses en cheptel total. Le cheptel de vaches allaitantes a quant à lui tendance à être repoussé dans les zones défavorisées où les autres productions animales ont des difficultés à s’implanter ou à se maintenir.

Background: The use of probiotics is an innovative and sustainable strategy that optimizes broiler chicken growth by promoting healthy gut microbiota, which improves feed efficiency and overall zootechnical performance, such as better feed conversion and increased weight gain, while reducing antibiotic dependence and contributing to a more environmentally friendly poultry production system. Methods: The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of a probiotic based on Lactobacillus acidophilus, isolated from local dairy products, on the performance of broiler chickens, by feeding 96 Cobb 500 chicks over a period of 40 days and in three breeding repetitions. The Cobb 500 chicks were divided into two groups, a control group (G1) receiving the basic feed and water and an experimental group (G2) receiving the basic feed with the probiotic culture added to the water at different dosages (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%). The probiotic culture method involves harvesting probiotic bacteria from mother cultures in the laboratory before adding them to the feed and rearing takes place under intensive conditions in accordance with good poultry farming practices. Result: The incorporation of probiotics at a threshold of 0.2% (Group 2, Batch 2) significantly optimized the zootechnical performance of Cobb 500 broiler chickens. The results show superior weight gain, reaching a final body weight of 3196 g±0.10, correlated with a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.51±0.14, in line with the efficiency standards of the line. In addition to eliminating mortality, this supplementation induced a beneficial modulation of metabolic homeostasis, characterized by improved glycemic and lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglycerides). These data highlight the potential of this nutritional strategy as a promising alternative for boosting overall productivity while enhancing the systemic health of poultry.

Pork is one of the key elements of the human "meat diet" and is produced in increasing volumes both in Russia and worldwide. Data on global pork production (WP), in particular for 2022–2023, according to FAO (FAOSTAT 122.989–124.668 million tons) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA 114.62–116.30 million tons) estimates differ significantly, as do many other countries, with the exception of the USA. For example, pork production in China, which accounts for almost half of the worlds, for 2022–2023 is estimated at 56.340–58.867 million tons (FAOSTAT) and 55.410–56.500 million tons (USDA). A detailed assessment of such data for the top ten countries in the world is the main objective of this review. It is important not only that Russia today shares 3rd and 4th places in the world in pork production with Brazil, but also that Russia's share in the global pork production volume is constantly increasing (from 3.2% to 3.8% from 2018 to 2023), which indicates that pork production in the Russian Federation is growing faster than global growth. This growth, both in the number of pigs and in the production of products in the Russian Federation, is mainly (92%) provided by "agricultural organizations", and the share of farms (peasant) and the population in total amounts to no more than 8% (ROSSTAT) in recent years. Thus, in 2023, "... production in agricultural organizations, according to preliminary estimates, increased by 6.1% ..." (Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation). This significant growth in pork production is one of the main drivers determining the positive dynamics in all domestic animal husbandry.

Pursuing a Low Meat Diet to Improve Both Health and Sustainability: How Can We Use the Frames that Shape Our Meals?