Representational image.
New Delhi: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has recognised India’s food consumption pattern as the most climate-friendly among G20 nations, according to its latest Living Planet Report released on Thursday. The report highlights that India’s diet is the least harmful to the environment, especially when considering the global demand for food production by 2050. If all countries adopted India’s consumption patterns, the world would require less than one Earth to sustain food needs, making it a model for sustainability.
In contrast, countries like Argentina, Australia, and the United States were identified as having the least sustainable pattern.
The report notes that if all nations adopted the consumption patterns of G20 countries by 2050, food-related greenhouse gas emissions would exceed the 1.5°C climate target by 263%, requiring between one to seven Earths to sustain food production. However, with India’s dietary habits, the world would need less than one Earth (0.84), a figure even better than the established planetary boundary for food systems.
On the contrary, Argentina’s food consumption would require 7.4 Earths, the worst among the countries studied, followed by Australia and the USA. Meanwhile, nations like Indonesia and China also fared well, though India led the pack with the most climate-friendly food system.
The report praised India’s National Millet Campaign for promoting climate-resilient grains, such as millets, which are not only nutritious but also better suited to a changing climate. It urged nations to adopt more sustainable diets, suggesting alternative proteins like legumes, plant-based meats, and nutrient-rich algae to reduce the environmental impact of food production.
“In some countries, promoting traditional foods will be an important lever to shift diets. For example, India’s National Millet Campaign is designed to increase national consumption of this ancient grain, which is good for health and highly resilient in the face of climate change,” it states. The report further specifies that achieving healthy and nutritious diets will be heavily influenced by local cultural traditions, individual choices, and available food.
“Eating more sustainable diets would reduce the amount of land needed for food production. Grazing land, in particular, could be freed up for other purposes, including nature restoration and carbon sequestration,” the report highlights.
New Delhi: Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Thursday exposed yet another drug network in the national…
Bhubaneswar: Continuing the crackdown on illicit liquor trade, Odisha Excise sleuths on Thursday conducted a…
New Delhi: The Indian government on Thursday declared ‘Hizb-Ut-Tahrir’ as a terrorist organisation. “Pursuing PM…
Bhubaneswar: Among many attractions offered by Dussehra festival, partaking Goddess Durga's prasad in community feast…
Bhubaneswar: Ahead of their final match in the league stage of Legends League Cricket (LLC),…
Berhampur: The Bengali diaspora in Berhampur city of Odisha's Ganjam district has been celebrating Durga…
Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: It's that time of the year. Durga Puja revelry has begun in Odisha, with…
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) member Prahallad Tripathy has been appointed Observer for the the…