The Interconnectedness of Environmental and Human Health
Nicola Marsh, Registered Dietitian, E2G FOOD advisor
At E2G we recognise the interconnectedness of environmental and human health and as such, we are passionate about finding solutions that address both nutritional and environmental issues. Whilst it is true that our food choices have an impact on our health, these same food choices have an impact on the health of the environment due to greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural and livestock sectors, related deforestation, biodiversity loss and land degradation.
Significant dietary change over recent decades has led to populations consuming diets rich in animal protein, processed foods, hydrogenated fats and a lower intake of fibre. Consequently, this changing dietary pattern is contributing to the increased risk of chronic non-communicable disease. If left unaddressed, these non-communicable diseases are predicted to account for two-thirds of the global burden of disease by 2030. Furthermore, despite the extent of world food production, the prevalence of undernourishment remains relatively unchanged over recent years with 9.2 percent of the world population facing hunger.
The need for sustainable diets has been acknowledged by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasising the link between human health and that of our planet. Sustainable diets are considered those that have “low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimising natural and human resources”.
Nutrient-dense foods are those rich in vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients such as dietary fibre and protein. Examples include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains which are all plant-based foods that tend to feature heavily in health-promoting dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean-style diet. Not only are these foods of nutritional benefit to human health they all generally have a lower carbon footprint, consume less water and utilise fewer land resources making their environmental impact lower than foods less compatible with human health such as foods rich in saturated fat typically sourced from animal products and added sugars, salt and fats which feature in heavily industrialised sweet and savoury foods.
Figure A: The Double Pyramid Model.
The “Double Food and Environmental Pyramid” model (figure A) developed by the Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition is a visual representation of this inverse relationship by arranging foods according to their contribution to a healthy diet as well as their environmental impact. Nutrient-dense foods that feature at the bottom of the model have the greatest positive impact on human health whilst simultaneously having the lowest environmental impact.
Our E2G FOOD bars aim to bring this synergy to life as they are made primarily from plant-based nutrient-dense ingredients such as dates, oats, nuts, seeds and soybean products bringing a brighter future to those facing hunger as well as the health of our planet by minimising environmental impact.
References
Antó JM. Human health and the health of Planet Earth go together. J Intern Med. 2024; 295: 695–706.
Clark MA et al. Multiple health and environmental impacts of foods. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Nov 12;116(46):23357-23362.
World Food Programme: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report - 2024.
Ruini LF et al. Working toward Healthy and Sustainable Diets: The "Double Pyramid Model" Developed by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition to Raise Awareness about the Environmental and Nutritional Impact of Foods. Front Nutr. 2015 May 4;2:9.