the coming diet revolution dr rosemary stanton oam nutritionist

the coming diet revolution

Dr Rosemary Stanton OAMnutritionist

© Rosemary Stanton 2007

the balanced diet

nutritionnutrition& health& health

environmentenvironmental al

sustainabilitysustainability

tastetaste‘food literacy’‘food literacy’


considerations

global warming is occurring

what we eat affects global warming

global warming will inevitably affect what we eat


environmental changes farms pushed from good growing areas family farms disappearing & farms devoted to

monoculture are increasing fertilisers & irrigation needed pollution of waterways dryland salinity increasing use of land for ethanol production climate change


greenhouse gases

changes in last 200 years carbon dioxide - up 30%

– responsible for 70% of global warming– burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)– land clearing

www.greenhouse.gov.au/education/factsheets/what.html


greenhouse gases

changes in last 200 years methane - up 145%

– contributes 20% of global warming– increased numbers of cattle– rice cultivation (temperature, CO2)– escape of natural gas– decomposing waste in landfill



greenhouse gases

changes in last 200 years nitrous oxide - up 15%

– burning vegetation– emissions from industry– nitrogenous fertilisers



fuel or food?ethanol-based fuels - a help?

11 acres ethanol for 1 car for 1 year

11 acres food for 7 people for 1 year

corn used for ethanol in the US in 2004 could have fed 100 million people

30-70%* more energy is needed to produce ethanol than it contributes

source: Professor David Pimental, Cornell University


factors related to food

fertilisers & pesticides

irrigation & water use

increased consumption of animal products & intensive rearing of animals

harvesting & increased storage of crops

processing & packaging

transport & widespread distribution of food


food factors

food industry driven by profits

uneven distribution (eg compare price paid to coffee growers with café prices)

environmental costs not factored in to product pricing

environmental costs borne by the community, with disproportionate costs to the poor


for discussion overproduction - is it sustainable? overconsumption of food = waste packaging is an issue return to seasonal eating food ‘miles’ should we go down the food chain? should we go organic?


for discussion

overproduction - is it sustainable? overconsumption of food = waste packaging is an issue return to seasonal eating food ‘miles’ should we go down the food chain? should we go organic?


food exports

Australia exports 80% of grains/sugar/oilseeds 75% of seafood 70% of mutton (+ 38% of lamb) 65% of beef 50% of milk production

source: dfat.gov.au


food exports

exports important ($24 billion/year) but we have ignored environmental factors, including – water

– dryland salinity (land clearing)

– use of pesticides, fertilisers

– overworked land

– reduced mineral content of soils


fish productionCSIRO predicts 35% decline overall(64% in Tasmania) due to changes in temperature ocean currents & winds nutrient supply rain ocean acidity extreme weather

Gina Newton, Australian Marine Sciences Association, www.frdc.com.au


overproduction - action more relevant in some areas

government help/intervention essential

action most likely to occur with the water crisis on the mainland

GM crops that can tolerate salinity??

more controls on pesticides

mixed farming to avoid monocultures

more research on soil minerals


GM foods will they hinder or help?

? sales tactics of GM companies

not likely to feed the poor

possibility of destroying eco systems

fail to address causes of climate change

fail to tackle depletion of water & soil nutrients

creating problems for beneficial insects


for discussion

overproduction - is it sustainable? overconsumption of food = waste packaging is an issue return to seasonal eating food ‘miles’ should we go down the food chain? should we go organic?


overconsumption

excess weight in Australia occurs in 67% of men 52% of women 20-25% of children


overconsumptionobesity increases the risks of type 2 diabetes high blood pressure coronary heart disease strokes cancers, especially bowel, breast,

endometrium, kidney, oesophagus gallstones


overconsumptionobesity also increases the risks of surgery makes arthritis worse worsens back and knee problems is sometimes involved in

depression


overconsumption

environmental effects

increased purchases = increased waste

40-50% landfill waste is food and garden waste (8.4 million tonnes/yr)

each kilogram of food waste in landfill contributes 1kg of greenhouse gases


overconsumption - action greater publicity about problems of excess

consumption (health & environmental)

increased price for some foods (likely as resources/transport costs increase or via taxation based on energy ‘rating’ of foods)

collection system with emphasis on education + subsidies for composting or worm farms (both domestic & industrial)


packaging

Australia produces 3.3 million tonnes of packaging materials/year

~ 65% packaging for food/beverages useful because it improves shelf life

and reduces food waste a problem because it uses energy

resources to produce and more when it is discarded and adds to landfill


packaging

throughout the world, 400 billion plastic water bottles added to landfill each year

packaging makes up 72% of litter in Australia (and includes 25 million plastic bags discarded as litter/year)


packaging

recycling possible & improving kerbside recycling collects 20% of

packaging problem: 50% food & non-alcoholic

beverages consumed away from home


packaging

industry & retailers should be responsible for waste collection

when Ireland added 26c levy, plastic bag usage fell by 90%

container deposits in SA achieve 85% return rate


packaging - action

choose foods with less packaging

re-use packaging

recycle (bins more widely available)

push governments to set mandatory rules for container deposits

recycling costs should be included in product price


seasonal eating

seasonal foods link us to production & increase ‘food literacy’

ignored in favour of ‘choice’

choice increases consumption - as more ‘variety’ is offered, we consume more


has choice gone mad?

average Australian supermarket stocks 30,000 foods

do we ‘need’ or even want all this?

do we ‘need’ 1800 snack foods?

do we ‘need’ Californian oranges in summer when Valencias are in season?


drivers of food choices

the food supply was once driven by what was in season

cultural influences also played a role in the daily diet


new drivers

convenience profit what large retailers want to sell health & science advertising & marketing


functional foodsnew ‘super’ foods

– attempt to ‘rescue’ the diet

– some may be useful; others designed for ‘disease shopping’

– highly priced

– divert attention from real dietary problems


functional foodsoften a techno-fix aiming to

produce something as good as fruit & vegetables

but we already have fruit & vegetables!


food miles

distance food travels from paddock to plate– how far food has travelled

– mode of transport (heavy vehicles, air, sea, packaging)

– sustainability associated with the food’s production


food miles

consider sustainability– Australian animals graze year round &

rarely need winter housing

– New Zealand uses less pesticide than most countries, so may be preferable


food miles

water also a vital issue– should Australia import rice and cotton

rather than deplete the Murray/Darling river system?

– to produce 1 kg coffee requires 20,000L water, so grow it in tropical areas and provide an income for growers


food miles

not always simple

can’t divorce food miles from global considerations

equity issues important (eg coffee growers need fair price)

importing some products may not be sustainable


food miles - action

check the origin of foods

consider seasonality (education needed for parents, in schools, farmers, retailers, food & recipe writers, journalists)

reject foods out of season

develop school kitchen gardens

promote home/community gardens


go down the food chain?

world health authorities recommend

we bias our diets towards

plant foods

and less processed foods

for health & sustainability


go down the food chain?

as populations become more affluent,

they eat more animal products,

more processed foods

and fewer plant foods

and develop obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and

cancers of the bowel and breast


effects of the affluent diet

more meat, more processed foods

production of animal foods takes large amounts of land and water

processing foods uses more energy & may deliver an imbalance of nutrients

low kilojoule and functional foods can be especially problematic


litres of water for 1 kg food

potatoes 500wheat 900maize 1,400rice 1,910soy 2,000chickens 3,500beef, broad acre* 50,000beef (lot-fed) 100,000Source: Pimmental D, Houser J, Preiss E. 1997 Bioscience 47: 97-106* CSIRO quoted in AFGC Environment Report 2003


wise use of landcrop gross energy output number

fed(MJ)/hectare /

hectarecabbage 105,000 23 potatoes 102,000 22rice 88,000 19corn 76,000 17wheat 70,000 15

pork 14,000 3rabbit 13,000 3milk 9,000 2lamb 7,000 2chicken, corn-fed 7,000 2beef 5,000 1

source:Spedding CRW 1990 in Lewis b, Assmann G (eds) Social & Economic contexts of coronary prevention, London: Current Medical Literature


animal production - feedlots

20-50 kg of feed produces 1 kg meat 40% of world grain fed to animals land cleared to grow grain, then grain

transported to feedlots more waste (450kg steer produces

29kg wet waste/day) more methane - 2.5 x if animals fed a

rich diet (CSIRO aiming to change cattle microbes & reduce methane by 16%)


animal production - feedlots

beef cattle in feedlots give hormone growth promotants (HGPs)

HGPs used in 45% of beef cattle in Australia

are HGPs harmful?

HGPs banned in EU (and Tasmania)

quality of life for feedlot cattle?


animal production - action

reduce meat consumption

favour kangaroo (no methane)

favour chickens (free range?)

reject feedlot beef

keep chickens at home (eat scraps, provide eggs on site)


effects of the affluent diet

more meat, more processed foods

production of animal foods takes lots of land and water

processed foods use more energy & deliver an imbalance of nutrients

low kilojoule and functional foods can be especially problematic


processed foods

we need to considerthe ratio of the energy content of a food (kilojoules) - to the energy inputs (in production, processing, packaging and distribution)


value for energy use?

processed foods, functional foods

aim is to maximise profit

use as little ‘real food’ as possible

production of additives uses large amounts of energy

functional foods only for wealthy


kilojoules to process 1 kg food

flour 2,100canned fruit/vegetables 2,500bottled water 3,000ice cream 3,800soft drink 5,900low kilojoule soft drink 25,000chocolate 77,700instant coffee 79,000

sources: University of Wisconsin Centre for Integrated Agricultural Studies 1999; Heller, MC, Keoleian GA, "Life Cycle-Based Sustainability Indicators for Assessment of the U.S. Food System", Ann Arbor, MI: Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan, 2000.


tomato sauce - Sweden

more than 52 transport & processing stages

– tomatoes grown & made into paste (Italy)

– processing & packaging into sauce (Sweden)

– retail and storage of the final product

Andersson, K. Ohlsson, P and Olsson, P. Life Cycle Assessment of Tomato Ketchup. The Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology, Gothenburg. Journal of Cleaner Production 6 (1998) 277–288


tomato sauce

aseptic bags to package tomato paste made in the Netherlands, sent to Italy, placed in steel barrels, sent to Sweden

five layered, red bottles made in the UK or Sweden with materials from Japan, Italy, Belgium, the USA and Denmark

polypropylene screw-cap of the bottle and plug made in Denmark and transported to Sweden

distributed with shrink-film & corrugated cardboard

(labels, glue and ink not included in the analysis)


bottled water

problem worldwide 154 billion litres/year consumed in 2004

(57% over 5 years)

most consumed in countries with a safe water supply

creates greenhouse gases to make bottles, transport water + storage, refrigeration, collection and disposal of waste


bottled water

problem in Australia 550 million litres/year consumed (2004-5)

no drop in soft drink sales

cost is 10,000 times tap water

tap water is high quality

waste of energy resources

65% of water bottles not recycled, 38% of litter


processed food - action

refill water bottles from tap or tank

use fewer processed products

select products with less processing (eg rolled oats not flakes)

cook real foods from scratch

teach everyone to cook so it is not left to women

grow your own


organic foods

benefits

raises environmental consciousness

decreases environmental problems (pesticides, artificial fertilisers)

decreases energy use

decreases greenhouse gases


organic foods

problems

expensive

no advantages for imported luxury organic foods

can overuse organic fertilisers

need safe fertilisers


organic foods - action

check labels

use locally grown organic foods where possible & affordable

home organic growing


discussion overproduction overconsumption of food packaging seasonal eating food ‘miles’ go down the food chain go organic


what can we do now? overproduction - ? overconsumption of food packaging seasonal eating food ‘miles’ ? go down the food chain go organic ?


what we eat

social equityhealth

protection of land & water


the balanced diet

nutritionnutrition& health& health

environmentenvironmental al

sustainabilitysustainability

tastetaste‘food literacy’‘food literacy’

the coming diet revolution dr rosemary stanton oam nutritionist

Documents

overconsumption of food

poor slide

depression slide

food chain

food factors food industry

acres food

greenhouse gases slide

kilogram of food waste