Voices: Stories About Practice In Sustainable Nutrition

Research has shown the production of animal-based foods generates higher green-house gas emissions and requires greater water and land use than the production of plant-based foods.  However, there are many points to consider when evaluating the environmental impact of meat.  The agriculture sector has made substantial improvements to lower green-house gas emissions. Many regions graze animals on land not suited for crop production and some techniques related to raising animals may help maintain biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.

While pasture-raised animals may provide a higher quality of life for animals and lower environmental impacts related to more intensive farming strategies such a strategy may not be practical to meet all of the current or projected consumption demands and could require more farmland than what is available in some regions. And in Tara Garnett’s words “while grazing livestock have their place in a sustainable food system, that place is limited”

I am pleased today to have joining us two dietitians who share their knowledge and experience on the role of meat in the country where they currently live and work. First is Sonja Schonberg, who has a Masters in Food, Nutrition and Health and currently is a teacher and researcher at Bern University in Switzerland.  And we also have Stacia Nordin, a dietitian who lives and works in Malawi.

Food loss and waste amount to a major use of resources and it produces greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change.  In high income countries more food is wasted in our homes than any other part of the supply chain.

Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 captures a commitment to halve food waste at the retail and consumer level.

Behind the challenge lies a huge opportunity for dietitians and nutritionists to not only reduce waste in operations where food is served and to also to make it harder for consumers to waste food – through education and through changing the environment in which food is consumed.

In this podcast we speak with two dietitians who share their diverse approach and experience in combatting this topic.  Margaretha af Trolle from Sweden who works with an organization that provides nutritious and varied food to preschools, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. And Rebecca Tran a dietitian from Canada who has created innovative solutions through her business The Station Food Hub.