“Inertia and lack of urgency” are key obstacles to feeding the world sustainably, says expert

01 Nov 2019 --- As it becomes clear that the global food system needs to transform to feed 10 billion people by 2050, Professor Alan Dangour shares his insights into the connections between the environment, food systems and health. Dangour, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), will be speaking at the Food Matters Summit at ExCeL London on November 19-20, which will bring 100 top-level international speakers to lead a debate on the critical issues for the global food and drink sector.

Our food choices have a strong link with environmental health. Multiple studies have uncovered information on this point, which is putting increasing pressure on the food industry and consumers alike.

This week, for the first time, researchers tied the health impacts of foods to their overall environmental impact, such as greenhouse gas emissions and water usage. The results showed that healthier diets – consisting of whole grains and vegetables, for example – would markedly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and food production. Such findings are galvanizing meat-free and flexitarian platforms. 

Also, in August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land also highlighted that, generally, a higher consumption of animal-based foods is associated with a higher estimated environmental impact, whereas increased plant-based food consumption is associated with a lower environmental impact.

Dangour studies the relationship between the environment, the food system, diets and health. How is your London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine work connected to food sustainability?
My initial research at LSHTM was on the nutritional requirements of older people – we tried to identify whether there were specific nutrients that would improve physical and cognitive function in later life. It became clear to me that for many health problems, single nutrients weren’t the problem (or indeed the solution) and that we should be taking a much more holistic view of “diets for health.” I expanded my focus to include the production of food and food systems, and this naturally led me to include the environment. Our group now examines the relationship between the environment, the food system, diets and health – we research both the impact of our dietary choices on the food system, and the impact that a changing environment is having on our ability to produce sustainable and healthy diets now and in the future.

What is the biggest challenge to feeding people sustainably?
There are many challenges (some we haven’t even thought of), but the one I’d like to highlight here is inertia. People who have been directly affected by environmental change realize the dangers all too well, but for those of us for whom environmental change is something we read about occasionally in the papers, it is all too easy just to carry on as normal. For many people, there appears to be nothing immediately wrong, and so there is no urgent reason to act. This inertia and lack of urgency among populations, the food industry, and our policymakers are a real obstacle blocking the changes we so urgently need.

Are you optimistic about the future?
It is very easy to be extremely pessimistic about the future, but that would be a huge injustice to all those groups around the world fighting every day to keep environment change and health on the agenda at schools, in universities, in the broader public, in the media and in policy circles. I joined the recent climate strikes and was overwhelmed by the commitment and depth of feeling from young people around the world. This is truly inspirational and must serve as a source of optimism for us all.

Aside from taking to the streets, how can knowledge be shared on this topic to galvanize action?
The seminal Rockefeller-Lancet commission on “Health in the Anthropocene,” published in 2015, identified three broad challenges. The first challenge was how to develop our “knowledge” on the link between environmental change and population health; the second challenge was on “implementation,” i.e. if we know what to do, how do we ensure that it gets done? The final challenge was on “imagination.” Do we have the capacity, as concerned citizens, scientists, policymakers and others, to identify problems and generate tractable solutions? This final challenge requires people from different backgrounds and interests to come together at events such as the Food Matters Summit to share their experiences and imagine a healthy and sustainable future.

Edited by Laxmi Haigh