India Saves The Planet One Plate At A Time: How Traditional Indian Meals Align With WWF’s Climate Goals

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We Indians are universal foodies, we love food whether we are vegetarians, non-vegetarians or even eggetarians and we have a wide variety of food that we indulge in or crave for. But what is the common factor that we all have in our Indian cuisine? It's mostly black mustard seeds, spices and condiments like chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and the like, ginger, asafoetida, cumin seeds, cardamom, curry leaves, coriander leaves, coconut oil or ghee etc. And accept it, without any one of these ingredients Indian food would just be bland.

In this context, there's a piece of good news! Indian food has just got world recognition with the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) Living Planet Report 2024. Apparently according to this report, it has acknowledged India's food consumption as the most eco-friendly among the G-20 nations like Argentina, Australia and the United States who are reported to have the least sustainable pattern.

The report that was released this Thursday points out that India's diet is the least damaging to the environment, particularly in light of the anticipated global food production demand by 2050.

It emphasizes that 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 if all nations adopted the consumption habits of G20 countries by 2050. On the other hand, if the world followed the footsteps of India's dietary habits, the world would need less than 0.84 that is one Earth, a better figure than the established planetary boundary for food systems.

India's National Millet Campaign got praised by the report for promoting climate-resilient grains like nutritious millets that are better suited to a changing climate. Apparently the goal of this initiative is to promote traditional foods and nationwide consumption of this ancient grain, valued for its health benefits and strong climate resilience.

The report urged other nations to adopt such and more sustainable diets that include alternative proteins like legumes, plant-based meats and nutrient-rich algae to reduce the environmental impact of food production.

Other than India, Indonesia and China scored well, but India is at the lead with the most climate-friendly food system. Talking about Argentina's food consumption it would require 7.4 Earths, which is the worst figure among the countries studied, followed by Australia and USA.

The Living Planet Report also mentions that healthy and nutritious diets are increasingly influenced by cultural traditions, with the food that is available and individual choices. The report also highlights that eating more sustainable diets would reduce the amount of land needed for food production. When it comes to grazing in land, it could be freed up for purposes that include nature restoration and carbon sequestration.

To wrap it up, the report highlights that over 2.5 billion adults are overweight, including 890 million who struggle with obesity. The report also advises developed countries to shift to a greater proportion of plant-based food and reduce the amount of animal products. It also points out that seafood choices are a good option like priortizing farmed species that are low on the aquatic food chain. To name a few examples: oysters, mussels, scallops and the like. These choices offer high levels of micronutrients and lower levels of bioaccumulative toxins.

It's a proud moment that India is now a model for sustainability, if all countries adopted India's consumption habits, they would certainly need less than one Earth to sustain food requirements.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.