Slashing meat consumption by half: Eating Better alliance sets targets to overhaul UK diets

18 Jul 2019 --- The UK-based Eating Better alliance is aiming to reduce meat and dairy consumption in the UK by half by 2030. The alliance consists of over 60 organizations including public health bodies, farmers, MPs, environmentalists and animal welfare experts, and has set out 24 steps to achieve its ambitious target. It is also calling for a transition to an improved meat and dairy standard under its Better by half: A roadmap to less and better meat and dairy program launched in Westminster, London earlier today.

The 50 percent reduction goal is a necessary and achievable target for the UK, Mark Breen, Communications Associate at Eating Better, tells NutritionInsight. “Studies have shown that a 25 percent reduction would not be effective in achieving a consistent environmental and health benefit.”

“Fifty percent is the best option as it is a practical and achievable approach, sitting between ‘business as usual’ and a vegetarian diet. In addition, ‘half’ is a relatively easy proportion to envisage and for people to understand. The case for a more ambitious target has also been made, with some academics advocating a 90 percent reduction in meat and dairy, but over a longer period of time, such as by 2050,” he continues.

“We know that where we live and work plays a huge role in our health and wellbeing. Children from the poorest areas with the unhealthiest food environments are twice as likely to be obese as their wealthier counterparts. It is vital that we have robust national and local policies in place to improve the environment so that the default food option is the healthy one. Only then will we begin to tackle our growing health inequalities,” adds Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health.

Actionable targets for industry
The 24 actions to encourage the drop in dairy and meat consumption are targeted at government, food service and retail, food producers and investors. The suggestions are meant to be concrete and actionable and allow for businesses and organizations to show leadership. Nine of the points are government related, including policy and strategy reforms; increased fruit, vegetable and high-quality meat affordability and accessibility; and using school food and public procurement to spread sustainable diets. 

Food service and retail are addressed by five points apiece, with food service being asked to provide a greater number of plant-based dishes, and to make them more appealing for consumers. Food retail is requested to also set goals, as well as encourage plant-based food sales and labeling origin and method production for all animal products. 

Producers and processors are asked to switch to better meat and dairy production, and to harness plant production opportunities and the profitability of environmental services. Investors are urged to evaluate risks and opportunities of animal-product companies and to engage in healthy and sustainable production. 

Creating the right environment for good food decisions
The approach aims to provide the right environment for people to make good food decisions, instead of just telling them what they can and can’t eat. People are urged to include more vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and pulses. While the Eating Better alliance acknowledges that this can be a complex challenge for many, it notes that there are encouraging signs on the high-street. The UK-based Eating Better alliance is aiming to reduce meat and dairy consumption in the UK by half by 2030.

Eating Better surveyed 620 sandwiches for sale in the UK earlier this year, and noted that some retailers such as supermarket Tesco and cafe chain Pret a Manger are responding to consumer demand for more plant-based options. Additionally, farmers and growers are increasingly joining calls for less and better meat. Nature Friendly Farmers Network and Pasture-fed Livestock Association have joined the Eating Better Alliance in the last year to call for less and better meat and dairy.

“We need to reduce the amount of meat and dairy we eat for health, environment, biodiversity and animal welfare – the scientific evidence for this is well set out. We hope our actions will create an environment where people eat with less quantity but better-quality meat and dairy, accompanied by lots of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruit and pulses. This would also be healthier than what people are currently eating,” Breen explains. He also notes that increased consumer understanding of environmental, health, biodiversity and animal welfare impacts are driving the plant-based diet trend. 

Other organizations have also drawn attention to the urgent need for food reform. In the US, the American Heart Association (AHA) has released a science advisory which suggests that changes in food labeling, as well as industry improvements to the nutritional value of foods, are needed to promote consumer health. 

While on a global scale, the UN has called for a multisectoral approach to tackle malnutrition and obesity, while the Director of Nutrition at the World Food Programme has noted that the private sector must take actions against malnutrition. 

By Katherine Durrell