Cut Meat Consumption to Save the Climate, Say French Groups

In late February 2024, Climate Action Network France (the French affiliate of Climate Action Network International) and the French Society of Nutrition released a comprehensive study on diets associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Based on their modeling, they issued recommendations aimed at reconciling nutrition and climate concerns, mainly focusing on reducing the consumption of meat products. Univadis France interviewed Nicole Darmon, PhD, a research director at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment and a coauthor of the recommendations.

Univadis: Why did Climate Action Network France and the French Society of Nutrition decide to propose new nutritional recommendations?

Nicole Darmon: The National Nutrition Health Plan (PNNS) is historically designed to address nutritional issues and has never integrated environmental considerations. However, food represents 22% of the French carbon footprint, mainly driven by meat products. Since the revision of the future PNNS is currently underway, we wanted to propose a dietary regimen that minimizes carbon footprint while meeting recommended intake without supplements or enriched foods. The current version of PNNS recommends prioritizing poultry consumption while limiting other meats (beef, lamb, pork, etc) to 500 g per week and charcuterie to 150 g per week. This exceeds the national recommendations established in nearly 25 other countries that have already integrated environmental issues into their nutritional recommendations, such as Denmark, Spain, and Sweden. In these guidelines, meat consumption (including poultry) is generally limited to 300-630 g per week, and the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts is favored. The “planetary diet” reference, established by Lancet experts, advocates for only 300 g of meat per week, across all categories.

Univadis: So, you believe it’s possible to halve meat consumption.

Darmon: The INCA3 consumption survey shows that French people consume an average of 900 g of meat per week, across all types. Our calculations demonstrate that it’s possible to have a nutritionally adequate diet with half the amount of meat (ie, 450 g/wk) without resorting to enriched foods or supplements. Moreover, this change would result in a 20%-50% reduction in the carbon footprint of our diet. The scenario with a 35% reduction in carbon footprint seems an acceptable compromise: It entails consuming meat, fish, or eggs once a day, as well as dairy products two to three times a day. In this context, recommendations for fruits and vegetables remain unchanged. Regarding legumes, daily consumption should be between 65 g and 100 g, whereas currently, they are recommended twice a week, with no portion size specified. Lastly, the intake of unsalted nuts, preferably walnuts, should be 25-30 g per day, equivalent to two small handfuls, whereas PNNS currently recommends one small handful per day. These recommendations, combined with those for other food categories, which remain largely unchanged (especially sugary products reduced by 2.5 times), would achieve recommended intakes of fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and E, while improving iron and omega-3 intake. They would also reduce intake of saturated fats, sodium, and sugar.

Univadis: What is the scope of the population affected by the dietary changes you advocate?

Darmon: The scope of our study is limited to healthy adults, excluding certain groups. Elderly individuals are exempt from these recommendations due to their specific nutrient needs for maintaining muscle mass. Similarly, pregnant and lactating women have specific recommendations. Very young children often consume too much protein and too little fat, leading to an increased risk of future obesity. Therefore, reducing meat consumption should not be an issue, provided there’s adequate fat consumption. However, for adolescents, these recommendations may not necessarily be suitable for their nutritional needs, which are specific during this growth period. Specific calculations would be necessary to determine the adequacy of their protein intake.

Furthermore, our analysis focuses exclusively on consumption as a lever. We do not address other levers such as reducing food waste and food production methods, which also play a major role in moving towards a healthy and sustainable diet.

Univadis: To what extent are your recommendations financially feasible, considering that the most vulnerable individuals may struggle to access healthy food?

Darmon: Our modeling suggests that this more plant-based diet would cost approximately 10% less, as meat represents about a quarter of the French food budget, regardless of household socioeconomic status. This estimate is rough as it’s based on 2015 food prices. The nearly 20% inflation since then undoubtedly affects our estimates, although it’s likely that it has impacted all food groups relatively uniformly. Nonetheless, in 2016, we estimated the minimum cost of a balanced diet to be €3.85 per person per day, at a time when households in the lowest income decile spent about €4 per person per day on food. Therefore, it’s probable that the food budget of a significant proportion of the population is no longer sufficient to ensure balanced intake.

Univadis: How can this report influence the ongoing revision of the PNNS?

Darmon: The drafting and updating process initially involves the High Council of Public Health, which establishes general guidelines. These are then processed by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, which synthesizes the information to formulate proposals for recommendations or adjustments. Finally, Public Health France is responsible for translating these recommendations into practical guides for the population, developing slogans, visuals, and all necessary communication materials for the public. It is written considering contributions from various consultative structures such as the National Council of Food. In this context, we believe this report is an important contribution that provides useful insights for future directions. This revision is part of a broader strategy called the “National Food, Nutrition, Climate Strategy.” PNNS should no longer focus solely on nutritional intake but fully integrate climate issues.

Nicole Darmon reported no financial conflicts of interest related to the subject of the article. 

This story was translated from Univadis France, which is part of the Medscape professional network, using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. 

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