MUTUAL NEED, MUTUAL COMPATIBILITY Michael W. Hamm C.S. Mott - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Michael W. Hamm C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture Senior Fellow, Center for Regional Food Systems

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

U.S. DIETARY GUIDELINES AND SUSTAINABILITY: MUTUAL NEED, MUTUAL COMPATIBILITY

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REMINDER OF WHAT HAPPENS …

 Congress authorized creation, every five years,

• f the U.S. Dietary

Guidelines Advisory Committee under the joint auspices of USDA and DHHS.  The committee meets for two years, submits it’s report to the two Secretaries, and is disbanded.

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THIS YEAR THE DGAC DECIDED TO APPROACH ISSUE OF SUSTAINABILITY

 Similar to how has addressed physical activity  Why? “Addressing this complex challenge is essential to ensure a healthy food supply will be available for future generations.”  Used two FAO definitions (with modification): “Sustainable diets are a pattern of eating that promotes health and well-being and provides food security for the present population while sustaining human and natural resources for future generations.” “Food security exists when all people now, and in the future, have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.”

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Millen, B. et al (2015). Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Find at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/

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HOW?

Existing DGAC expertise plus two consultants Used a rigorous methodology for vetting the papers

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Articles identified through database searching (n=1685)

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Navigator

Articles screened (Title)

(n=1685)

Articles screened (Abstract)

(n=87)

Full-text articles reviewed

(n=24)

Hand search (n=1)

Studies included (15)

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WHAT DID THE DGAC FUNDAMENTALLY SAY IN REPORT …

 Interested in dietary patterns and not individual foods  Dietary guidelines for health and for sustainability are fundamentally compatible  Increase fruits and vegetables, decrease meat somewhat  Decrease calories to help achieve and maintain healthy body weight

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WHAT THE DGAC REPORT DID NOT EXPLICITLY ADDRESS…

 The way we produce our food – variations in production systems within a food  The way we manage wastes … including human waste  Relationship between where food is produced and where it is consumed – and potential for improving sustainability  Relationship of production location to energy and water availability  All of these could/will have a major impact on improving the sustainability of our dietary patterns

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WHY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER?

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Photo from: http://pasturedairy.kbs.msu.edu/research/ongoing_research/

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THE ANTHROPOCENE ERA

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Waters, C. N., Zalasiewicz, J., Summerhayes, C., Barnosky, A. D., Poirier, C., Galuszka, A., . . . Wolfe, A. P. (2016). The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene. Science, 351(6269), aad2622. doi:10.1126/science.aad2622

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MORE THAN JUST ABOUT CARBON …

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PLANETARY BOUNDARIES NOTION

Rockstrom, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, A., Chapin, F. S., 3rd, Lambin, E. F., . . . Foley, J. A. (2009a). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472-475.

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K.Raworth (2012) A safe and just space for humanity: can we live within the donut?

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GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION

 Global food production impact on natural resources: 80% of deforestation >70% of fresh water use <=30% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions Largest cause of species biodiversity loss Largest cause of P flows to fresh and saltwater

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COMMON STATEMENT

“The world will need 70% more food to feed a population of 9.4 billion” Is this accurate? Under what conditions is this accurate?

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CLOSE TO TRUE … IF ...

 All countries around world experience a nutrition transition and eat like the U.S. dietary pattern  There is no reduction in the amount of food that is wasted  There is no dietary pattern change in the developed world

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IN OTHER WORDS …

 There is no reason for this to be necessary EXCEPT for our unwillingness to recognize that change needs to occur

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MEETING GLOBAL FOOD NEEDS WILL DEPEND ON FOUR CONCURRENT APPROACHES:

 1) Altering individual and population dietary patterns;  2) Adopting existing and developing new agricultural production practices that reduce impacts and conserve resources;  3) More equitable distribution of resources; and  4) Reduction of food waste

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Adapted from: Garnett T. Food sustainability: problems, perspectives and

• solutions. Proc Nutr Soc. 2013 Feb;72:29–39

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WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT DIETARY PATTERNS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE U.S.?

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DGAC CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

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Millen, B. et al (2015). Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Find at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/

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LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME DATA …

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LAND REQUIREMENTS FOR VARYING MEAT INTAKES

Peters, C. J., et al. (2007). "Testing a complete-diet model for estimating the land resource requirements of food consumption and agricultural carrying capacity: The New York State example." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 22(02): 145.

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• FIG. 2. GHG EMISSIONS PER DAY ACCORDING TO THE 6

DIETS AND BROKEN DOWN INTO 7 FOOD GROUPS (FEMALE ADULTS). EH = ENERGY USE IN THE HOUSEHOLD PHASE.

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• C. van Dooren et al. (2014) Exploring dietary guidelines based on ecological and

Nutritional values: A comparison of six dietary patterns.Food Policy 44; 36–46.

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• FIG. 3. LAND USE (M2YEAR/DAY) PER DAY ACCORDING TO

THE 6 DIETS AND BROKEN DOWN INTO 7 FOOD GROUPS (FEMALE ADULTS).

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• C. van Dooren et al. (2014) Exploring dietary guidelines based on ecological and

Nutritional values: A comparison of six dietary patterns.Food Policy 44; 36–46.

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M.C. Heller & G.A. Keoleian (2014) Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimates

• f U.S. Dietary Choices and Food Loss. J.Ind.Ecol., 19:3, p. 391-401

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M.C. Heller & G.A. Keoleian (2014) Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimates

• f U.S. Dietary Choices and Food Loss. J.Ind.Ecol., 19:3, p. 391-401

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AND FROM THE UK…

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• P. Scarborough et al (2014) Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters,

fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK. Climatic Change. 125:179–192 DOI 10.1007/s10584-014-1169-1

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LOOKED AT GLOBALLY

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Tilman, D., & Clark, M. (2014). Global diets link environmental sustainability and human

• health. Nature, 515(7528), 518-522. doi:10.1038/nature13959

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Tilman, D., & Clark, M. (2014). Global diets link environmental sustainability and human

• health. Nature, 515(7528), 518-522. doi:10.1038/nature13959

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CONSIDERATIONS AND FINAL POINTS

 There are a couple of studies that disagree with this  This doesn’t take into account variation in production strategies E.g. of beef and pasture v. grain E.g. of high-efficiency water use (trickle irrigation for e.g)  Intra- vs inter- food item and sustainability  The U.S. has a high calcium (hence dairy) recommended intake compared to most other countries – this complicates things in our case since 50% of total calcium consumption is from dairy in U.S.

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HOW SOME OF OTHER VARIABLES BECOME IMPORTANT!

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Photo Credit: Dr. Jason Rowntree, Dept. Animal Sciences

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BEEF AND U.S. POPULATION GROWTH

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2020 2050 Constant Per Capita Consumption +.5 billion kgs +2.2 billion kgs Constant National Production 26.4

• kg/person

22.3 kg/person U.S. Beef Consumption Table 2

Currently about 28 kg/person/yr

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E.G. RELATIVE LOCATION OF PRODUCTION

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Photos from: MSU Student Organic Farm

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SEASONAL CHALLENGE FOR MI

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SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Carbon Emissions from Distant vs. Hoophouse Leaf Lettuce Production Ratio = 5.3 MI CA

• R. Plawecki, R. Pirog, A. Montri, and M. W. Hamm (2013) Comparative carbon footprint assessment of

winter lettuce production in two climatic zones for Midwestern market. RAFS.

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INCREASING CO2 COST WITH ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENTS

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Production System kg CO2/kg lettuce

• A
• Import

average

• f

2900 miles 0.70 (for transportation

• nly)

B

• 100%

Artificial lighting (High Pressure Sodium) 3.95 (for lighting

• nly)

C

• 70%

Sun/ 30% Artificial Light with CO2 addition 0.71 (for lighting

• nly)

D

• Same

as ‘C’ but

• n

Long Island, NY 0.35 (for lighting

• nly)
• L. D. Albright (2008) ENERGY INVESTMENTS AND CO2 EMISSIONS FOR FRESH PRODUCE

IMPORTED INTO NEW YORK STATE COMPARED TO THE SAME CROPS GROWN LOCALLY.

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KELLOGG BIOLOGICAL STATION - LTER

From: Robertson, G.P., K.L. Gross, S. K. Hamilton, D. A. Landis, T. M. Schmidt, S. S. Snapp, and S. M. Swinton. 2014. Farming for ecosystem services: an ecological approach to production agriculture. BioScience (in press).

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SOIL CARBON LEVELS IN 1981 AND 1995: RODALE FST

Drinkwater, L.E., Wagoner, P., & Sarrantonio, M. (1998) Legume-based cropping systems have reduced carbon and nitrogen losses. Nature, 396, p 262-265

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FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN DGAC REPORT

 Conduct research to determine whether sustainable diets are affordable and accessible to all sectors of the population ...  Develop, conduct, and evaluate in-depth analyses of U.S. domestic dietary patterns and determine the degree to which sustainability practices, domestically and internationally, are important to food choice …  Develop a robust understanding of how production practices, supply chain decisions, consumer behaviors, and waste disposal affect the environmental sustainability of various practices ...  Determine the potential economic benefits and challenges to supply chain stakeholders …

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CONCLUSION

 The United States needs to blend dietary pattern guidance for both human health and environmental health  The challenge over the next several years is to insure that happens!

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Photo Credit: Dr. Jason Rowntree, Dept. Animal Sciences

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mhamm@msu.edu foodsystems.msu.edu

The End