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    DIETS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR PEOPLE AND FOR THE PLANET

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    ;?@ )ABCD 3=E>CF=?G

    by Francesca AlleviBehtash Bahadorand Linnea Kennison

    EATING

    HABITS

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    by Alex Renton

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    OFIC FG CBI?OPby Elisa Poli

    FOOD

    CULTURE

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    by Silvia Ceriani

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    SI J=>?O F? CDI QFCHDI?

    a conversation with Enrico Crippa

    COLUMNS

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    CDI LEA?IC

    by Guido Barilla

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    by Dacian Ciolos

    DOUBLE PYRAMID

    OF FOOD AND THE

    ENVIRONMENT

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    edited by Michele Fossi

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    by Danielle Nierenbergand Eve Andrews

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    edited by Silvia Alparone

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    by Gabriele Riccardiand Riccardo Valentini

    FOOD AND THEENVIRONMENT#+)'3 '(%' %,) ()%1'(4 !", 7)"71)

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    For a planet whose resources are being graduallyexhausted and where the spread of diseases rela-ted to poor nutrition is increasing, it is essentialto find a way of living and eating that promoteshuman and environmental welfare.For this reason, in the third issue of its magazine,the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition suggestsa possible path. This is the model of the DoublePyramid of Food and the Environment developedfour years ago and further updated here which,analyzing the foods recommended for human he-alth and their environmental impacts, confirmsthe possibility of choosing a sustainable diet,good for us and for the planet.And ma ny pe ople in Eur ope and ar ound t he w orldare moving in this direction, as Dacian Ciolos(EU), Danielle Nierenberg, and Eve Andrews tell

    us; in science, industry and trade, whose difficultframework is described by the journalist Alex Ren-ton; in the world of re staurants and supermarkets,as can be seen in the experiences of The PeoplesSupermarket, and the Michelin-starred chef, Enri-co Crippa who offers a rich menu of vegetablesthat he grows himself; or from the researchs of theEurobarometer on personal habits. The BCFNs re-commendations and the innovative ideas of the fi-nalists of BCFN YES! suggest small daily practicesthat are possible. Here is a complete picture forlearning to live and eat with respect to the envi-ronment and our health.

    02!&

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    European agriculture and food produc-tion has made enormous progress in re-cent decades. Productivity has grown andyield s for most produ cts a re a s goo d as anywh e-re in the world. This will probably not surpriseyou. Ho weve r, did you k now tha t in the E U, 45%of our soil and 40% of our water resources arethreatened? In short, our successful productivi-ty gains of these decades have put a strain onour natural resources, and if we do not pay at-tention, we risk not only losing some of our bio-diversity and natural habitats, but also reducingour overall food production capacity.With food demand forecast to grow significantlyin the years ahead, it is clear that we must notonly be able to produce more, but we must alsoproduce better, in a way that respects a complexand highly unavoidable challenge namely, su-

    stainability. Producers in Europe must not onlybe economically competitive, but ecologicallycompetitive as well.Since the benefits of sustainable agriculturalproduction have not yet been incorporated intoeconomic modeling (considerations that are solong-term that they are not even remuneratedby the market), and since the market also fai ls toremunerate the sustainable management of ourrural areas by European farmers, farm policy isthe most obvious route to ensure that sustaina-bility considerations are incorporated into foodsecurity equations. Indeed, the problem of su-

    stainability was one of the major concerns rai-sed by EU citizens in a public debate we held in2010, just as we started our discussions on theshape of the EU. This is why the latest reform ofthe CAP, on which political agreement was re-ached at the end of June, has made Greeninga central part of common agricultural policy inthe period from 2014 to 2020. In the future, we

    will see 100 billio n Eur os de dicat ed b y the CAPto sustainability: 30% of the direct payments

    whic h farme rs rece ive from EU taxpa yers willbe directly linked to the provision of certainecosystem services and sustainable agriculturalpractices; a further 30% of Rural Developmentpayments will also be dedicated to agri-environ-ment and climate change-related programs.There are other elements of the package whichaddress sustainability issues. Many of them are

    through options available under Rural Develop-ment programs. However, I would also like tomention our European Innovation Partnerships,

    whos e aim is to bring rese arche rs and farme rscloser together and to accelerate the techno-logical transfer from the laboratory to the field.

    All in all, I am pl ease d to u nderl ine t hat th is re -form of the CAP has embraced one of the mostimportant concerns of European citizens: thesustainability challenge. With this new CAP, itis even more obvious that common agriculturalpolicy is not just for farmers, it also provides wi-der benefits to all of society.

    THE SUSTAINABILITYOF EUROPEANAGRICULTURE

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    02!&

    VOTE WITHYOUR FORK

    Although we have known for some time that what we decide to eat every day hasconsequences on our health, it is only recently that experts officially recognize theinfluence of food, and how it is produced, on environmental health. Internationalexperts tell us about the foods for a healthy diet and sustainable, and simply and

    intuitively, about the nutritional model of the Double Pyramid, promoted by the BCFN.

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    In 2008, when asked what he was doing ona daily basis to reduce his carbon footprint,Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of the United

    Nations for Climate Science panel, answered bytalking about food. This scientist, considered oneof the greatest experts in the world on climatechange, did not mention the need to limit thenumber of trips by car or plane, or to replace lightbulbs and appliances at home with similar oneswith low ene rgy consump tion. To the amazeme ntof many, he replied, Try food. The food is verypolluting in terms of climate change, due to theyare associated with large amounts of greenhousegas emissions associated with it. Eat less! Andhe added, The studies in our possession showthat people who want to make their own contri-bution in the fight against climate change usually

    concentrate their efforts on reducing emissionsin the transport sector, often ignoring that ap-propriately changing their ea-ting habits could reduce theiremissions to an even greaterextent. Although climate is-sues have been at the center ofpolitical debate and the worldof the media for many years,the relationship between foodand the environment, and inparticular, between food andclimate, has long been mar-ginal to the discussion, to theextent that, just five years ago, Dr. Pachauriswords, taken for granted today by many of us,stirred up immense media interest, ending up innewspapers around the world the next day.The good news is that the foods that have majorimpacts on the environment are also the food weshould eat less, because they are not well suited

    for a healthy life.Today, thanks to numerous studies on the subject,we know with certain ty that the Western diet,rich in meat, dairy products, and animal fats,with a pre ponderan ce of pro cessed foods, hi gh insugar and low in nutrients (and for some yearsnow dangerously fashionableeven in large de-velopin g countrie s like India and China, wherethe rise of the middle class has been accompa-nied by the gradual abandonment of a frugal buthealthy traditional diet based on rice and vege-tables), which is the basis of many modern dise-ases, and also constitutes a real scourge for the

    climate. According to FAO, the livestock sectoralone is responsible for 18% of the planetsemis-sions, producing more pollution than transporta-tion does, not to mention its considerable effectson ecosystems, being a major cause of the degra-dation of soil and water resources.To quote the words of Michael Pollan, the authorof The Omnivores Dilemma, Eating is a politicalact. What we put on our plate is a political act:starting with the individual food choices of ourdaily lives, each of us can have a positive effector negative effect on our own health and on theenvironment at the same time.This, in brief, is also the message conveyed bythe Food and Environment Double Pyramid,a graphic model proposed for the first time bythe Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition in June

    2010 (and now in its fourth edition), obtained bycomparing dozens of international scientific stu-

    dies dedicated to the subject.With the graphic immediacyof an inverted double pyramid,it reminds us that there is astrong link between healthyeating and sustainable food:in fact, a balanced proper dietlike the Mediterranean diet,based on pasta and other ce-reals, vegetables, fruits, andolive oil, which is known tocontribute to better health and

    well-be ing, causes an environm ental impa ct 60%lower than the North American type of diet, favo-ring animal products over vegetables and grains.It should not be too surprising that the he alth ofhuman beings is linked hand in glove with that ofecosystems, and that the categories of foods thatare the most beneficial to health are also those

    that have a lower impact on the environment. Infact, the current epidemic of chronic diseases re-lated to an incorrect diet (cancer, cardio-respira-tory system disorders, diabetes) and the so-calleddiseases of the planet,such as global warming,the disappearance of fish from the sea, and thepoisoning of the water and the earth, have a com-mon denominator: the spreading, especially sin-ce the Fifties, of the high rate of industrializationin the production methods of food, closely fol-lowed by the widespread adoption of diets thatare not sustainable, and which are overly rich inanimal protein and processed products. I owe it

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    on healthy and organic ingredients available inthe area, such as buckwheat and chestnut soup,pasta with beans,pasta with chickpeas,rice

    with pe as,barley with bacon, potatoes, and be-ans,and so on.These are all dishes that are balanced and com-plete in nutritional terms, which provide energy

    witho ut bein g heav y.They offer in a tasty form that combination oflegumes and carbohydratesso dear to our an-cestors, and that today science tells us can gua-rantee a supply of amino acids that is complete

    with respe ct to animal protei n, witho ut exces -sivelyimpacting the environment and, what ismore, even saving money.

    Without wishing to idealize a rural past whenpoverty, truly extreme, often led to an excessi-

    vely monoto nous d iet, render ing it anythin g buthealthy, especially with regard to the sourcesof carbohydrates (just think of the spreading ofpellagra in the Po Valley caused by an excessiveconsumption of polenta), there is no doubt thatthe workers of the earth, by following a diet lowin meat, thus ensured themselves a better stateof health and a longer old age than the rich, who,paradoxically, were envied for their tables laden

    with be ef and game ( and wh ich we now kno w tobe the origin of royal rot, or tumors called

    this way since the Middle Ages because it wasaimed exclusively at the royal families and thenarrow circle of aristocrats, the only people ableto follow a diet rich in animal protein).Many of these simple recipes, born in a world

    where few could afford the luxury of wastingfood, nonetheless provide great ideas for us torecycle stale bread and other waste. Recipessuch as pappa al pomodoro, panzanella, or ballsof bread and potatoes help us remember that de-fending the environment at the table also meanslimiting food waste, an odious practice that le-ads us to throw 15 billion worth of food in thetrash every year and which corresponds to therelease of as many as 4 million tons of CO

    2, equi-

    valent to t he energy neede d to supply the ener-gy consumption of the Italian population for a

    year. In this regard, we re comme nd to ever yonethe beautiful nineteenth-century text The Art ofUsing Canteen Leftoversby Olindo Guerrini: in anironic mockery of the famous cookbook The Artof Eating Well by Artusi, the author proposes aseries of creative dishes made with leftover andpoor ingredients.In the current climatic impasse and the sprea-ding of chronic diseases from food, it is moreurgent than ever to rediscover these recipes, ifonly because they are all invariably very tasty.

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    THE WORLD IN SEARCHOF EQUILIBRIUM

    Institutions around the world have developed or are developing guidelines to helppeople choose their own diet. Because spreading the awareness that what we choose

    to put on our plate has a global impact on humans and the ecosystem requires takingpractical steps that are appropriate to each country

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    Imagine what would happen if we were tochoose the food we eat by taking not only itsnutritional value and flavor into account, butalso its environmental sustainability. The goodnews is that these issues are inter-related: the he-althiest and most nutritious foods are also thosethat tend to have a less negative impact on theplanets resources.Take a diet with an excessive consumption ofmeat, for example: it is rich in fat and cholesterol,

    and may be responsible for problems of obesity,diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders. And it isa diet that has serious repercussions on the envi-ronment, as demonstrated by the studies done bythe Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN),because to produce just one kilo of meat, 15,400liters of water are required. This is a type of pro-duction that needs to be questioned in a worldwhere resource s are r unning low.Earths plant biodiversity is in danger 75 per-cent of the planets genetic resources are extinct,while another third o f wha t is left is exp ected todisappear by 2050. Eating a wide variety of fru-

    its and vegetables, however, can be beneficial forboth human health and the health of the envi-ronment. Eating indigenous fruits, vegetables,grains, and legumes can enhance the soil, protect

    water supplie s, and pro tect bio diversi ty.There are organizations and initiatives aroundthe world that are making the connection betwe-en health and environmental sustainability byhelping eaters choose healthy, safe, and low-im-pact foods.

    The BCFN, for example, helps eaters realize theimpact of their food choices through the organi-zations own Double Food Pyramid. The Pyramidhelps consumers eat a healthy diet while alsochoosing foods that are environmentally sustai-nable by highlighting how foods that should beconsumed more frequently are also the foods

    with the lowest environm ental impact. And thefoods that consumers should eat less, such as redmeat and processed foods, have the biggest im-pact on the environment. Eating well, accordingto the BCFN, is not only good for personal he-alth, but also for the health of the planet.

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    The environmental pyramid elaborated by theBCFN and based solely on the indicator of the eco-logical footprint, which considers what effect foodconsumption has on natural resources, in termsof quality and quantity, also considering processessuch as the cooking of it places these same foodsat the top of the pyramid because they have a verylow impact on the environment.If one kilogram of vegetables needs a minimum ofone to a maximum of ten square meters overall (theunit of measurement of hectares are global) to pro-

    vide resources and absorb the emissions associatedwith their production system, for the consumptionof the same amount of beef, the square meters ne-eded overall go from a minimum of 92 to a maxi-mum of 157.But the foods at opposite ends of the food pyramid,

    which are the ones that best exemplify the modelof the Double Pyramid, leave quite a different im-pression when also considering the greenhouse gasemissions related to their life cycle and necessary

    water consumption, parameters on which specificpyramids have been constructed, to then draw con-clusions about their overall impact. The carbon foo-tprint pyramid, which uses as a measure the gramsof equivalent CO

    2, shows that a kilo of vegetables

    on our table produces a mass of greenhouse gases,predominantly CO

    2, ranging from a minimum of

    255 grams to a maximum of 5,020, while for meatthis value ranges between 6,270 and 58,445 and for

    cheese, this value varies between 5,300 and 14,545.Similarly, the pyramid built on the water footprint,

    which uses the liters of water per pound of food as aunit of measure, always shows that one kilogram ofseasonal vegetables requires a range from 95 to 900liters, while for the same amount of beef, the valueis more than 15,000 liters.

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    Over theyears, the study of the Double Pyramid

    has evaluated eating habits throughout the world,making a reflection on three types of diet, all nu-tritionally balanced: the vegetarian menu, the meatmenu, and the sustainable menu, which balancesplant foods with meat, fish, eggs, and cheese. Eachof these menus, in addition to having a nutritional

    composition different from the others on the basisof the food composing it, has an environmental im-pact that, as measured by the ecological footprint,results in different numbers: if the vegetarian menuhas an ecological footprint of 15 square meters perday globally, that of the sustainable menu is 25 glo-bal square meters, and that of the meat menu is 45global square meters daily.

    And the impact on the environment also corre-sponds to a proportional cost for the consumerspockets: from the nutritional and environmentalpoint of view, the sustainable menu is such alsofrom the economic point of view, since it correspon-

    supply chain. Each of these indicators ranks foodsbased on the footprint they leave on the environ-ment. They are complementary to each other and,as a whole, allow you to define a fairly accurate ove-rall impact of the food production process on theecosystem.

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    The Double Pyramid is a good representation ofthe sustainability of our food choices for oursel-ves and for the natural environment . Alongsidethe traditional food pyramid, built on the basis ofthe distribution of food in a balanced diet, the-re is an environmental pyramid that assesses theecological weight of each food, showing that thefoods that best contribute to the maintenance of

    good mental and physical health of individualsare also those with a lower environmental impact.Thus, we can more knowingly choose our foodsupply. If it is true that the consumption of beef,in particular (but immediately followed by chee-se, eggs, and fish), has a high impact on the eco-system and therefore these foods are insertedin the lower bands (6 and 5, respectively) of theenvironmental pyramid , it is also true that the-se same foods are those that should be eaten lessfrequently, or in smaller portions in a balanceddiet, and in fact, are found at the top of the foodpyramid.

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    After careful observation of the model, it is clearthat the diet that is closest to the suggestions of theDouble Pyramid model is the Mediterranean diet,recognized since the Nineties as the best diet forhealthy individuals by the WHO (World Health Or-ganization) and by the FAO (Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations). Since 2010,it has also been listed by UNESCO as an intangiblecultural heritage of humanity. As well as the nu-tritional content of foods, however, one must alsobear in mind the importance of the daily doses ofeach food, the need for regular physical activity,the conviviality at the table, and the right amountof water. The base of the food pyramid derivedfrom the union of the various international guideli-

    nes is made up o f seasonable, and therefore fresh,fruits and vegetables, of which we recommend alarge consumption because they have a reduced-calorie content and provide the body with water,carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Theprotein content is very low, as is the fat content.The carbohydrate intake from fruits and vegetablesconsists mainly of simple sugars, easily used by thebody, and little starch. Foods of plant origin are alsothe main source of fiber which, in addition to regu-larizing bowel function, contributes to the feelingof satiety and, thus, helps to limit the consumptionof foods high in energy density.

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    BCFN 2013

    THE FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTALDOUBLE PYRAMID

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    0 2000 4000 6000 8000 15.000

    10.000

    5000

    4000

    2000

    1000

    15.415

    Legend

    Water FootprintLiter of water per liter or kg of food

    Averagedata

    6245

    7.765

    5990PORK

    5275

    1890

    1770

    1325

    1195

    930

    920

    310

    4325

    3285

    31602710

    2585

    1985

    1000

    1105

    BEEF

    DRIED FRUIT

    OLIVE OIL

    BUTTER

    CHEESE

    PASTA

    COOKIES

    MARGARINE

    YOGURT

    FRUIT

    BREAKFAST CEREALS

    VEGETABLES

    POULTRY

    EGGS

    LEGUMES

    RICE

    SWEETS

    BREAD

    MILK

    POTATOES 555

    2625

    FOODSWATER FOOTPRINT

    The water footprint, which quantifies the consumption and methods of use of water resources, is measuredin liters of water per kilogram of food. Depending on the data available, it has minimum and maximum

    values (dotted line) that do not include data about the cooking process. The average determines the orderof the foods.

    BCFN 2013

    2535

    2545

    2385

    1860

    0 2000 4000 6000 8000 25.000 45.000 60.000/

    0

    4000

    2000

    1000

    / /

    21.720BEEF

    9225CHEESE

    8545BUTTER

    4020EGGS

    4260PORK

    3940RICE

    3715POULTRY

    SWEETS

    DRIED FRUIT

    1690COOKIES

    1380LEGUMES

    14001360MARGARINE

    1295MILK

    1100BREAD

    810VEGETABLES

    625POTATOES

    2970BREAKFAST CEREALS

    FISH 4415

    1550YOGURT

    cooking

    Legend

    Carbon FootprintgCO2 eq per kg or liter of food

    min max

    Averagedata+ cooking

    480FRUIT

    OLIVE OIL

    PASTA

    FOODSCARBON FOOTPRINT

    The carbon footprint, which measures the emission of greenhouse gases during the lifecycle of a food, ismeasured in grams of CO

    2equivalent (gCO

    2 eq). Depending on the available data, it has minimum and

    maximum values (dotted line) which may include data about the cooking process. The average determinesthe order of the foods.

    BCFN 2013

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    THE DOUBLE PYRAMID FORTHOSE WHO ARE GROWING

    A varied and balanced diet is even more important during growth. In this delicate moment, the hierarchyof food undergoes minor changes, but without affecting the overall pattern of the Double Pyramid.

    BCFN 2011

    FOODS ECOLOGICALFOOTPRINT

    0

    100

    50

    25

    15

    5

    119

    20 40 60 80 90 100 11010 30 50 70 160

    cooking

    Legend

    Ecological Footprintm2global per kg or liter of food

    min max

    averagedata+ cooking

    BEEF

    93CHEESE

    74BUTTER

    79FISH

    6666MARGARINE

    4043OLIVE OIL

    41PORK

    41POULTRY

    1919LEGUMES

    1919DRIED FRUIT

    1616YOGURT

    16EGGS

    15SWEETS

    1515PASTA

    14MILK

    1312COOKIES

    12RICE

    8BREAD

    3FRUIT

    4POTATOES

    3VEGETABLES

    1313BREAKFAST CEREALS

    /

    The ecological footprint, which calculates the Earths capacity to regenerate resources and absorb emis-sions, is measured in total square meters per kilo or liter of food. Depending on the available data, it hasminimum and maximum values (dotted line) which may include data about the cooking process. The ave-rage determines the order of the foods.

    BCFN 2013

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    PRACTICINGSUSTAINABILITY

    WITH FOODSurveys on peoples behavior concerning food in different countries offer an insight intothe attitude of the world toward food: the increase in the percentage of working women,

    the economic crisis, and the reduction of certain costs of food processing are some of thefactors that drive consumers to prefer products that are often easier but less healthy.

    However, there are many initiatives around the world that aim to trigger a positivechange in eating habits.

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    Less red meat, more vegetables. Fish and dairyproducts without excess, many cereals (pre-ferably whole-grain), and lots of fruits andvegetables. In short, these are the indications ofthe Food and Environmental Double Pyramid de-veloped by the BCFN for a sustainable diet, a friendto better health and the planet. There is nothingtoo difficult about it, but this type of diet cannotbe taken for granted, either in Italy or in other in-dustrialized countries. But something is changing,at least concerning peoples intentions, and all over

    the world experiments and initiatives to promotemore sustainable choices are multiplying.The picture painted by the last survey on food con-sumption in Italy, published in 2008 by INRAN, theNational Research Institute for Food and Nutrition,is clear: we eat a lot of meat. At least 700 grams perperson per week (especially beef, consumed regu-larly by 75% of Italians), compared to the 400-450grams recommended by the International Agencyfor Research on Cancer. A good consumption ofbread, pasta, pizza, and olive oil, and a discreteconsumption of fish: these end up on the table of68% of Italians, but in small quantities. As for fru-

    its and vegetables, we each consume 418 grams perday, not much above the minimum of 400 grams re-commended by FAO. The consumption of legumesis quite meager: 65% of Italians never eat them. Inshort, there is a lot to do toward substituting theclassic slice of meat with a nice plate of beans,chickpeas, or lentils.The carnivorous Italians are in good company, ho-

    wever: according to data collected by the Europe-an Food Safety Authority, a similar consumptionis found in France, Sweden, and Germany. But the

    United States holds the first place, with 77.4 kg ofmeat per person in 2011 (almost 1.5 kg per week).

    Aside from a passion for beef, chicken, and pork,other trends emerge from a survey on eating habitsconducted by Euromonitor International in fourindustrialized countries (USA, UK, France, andGermany) and two emerging markets (India andBrazil). There is an especially sharp increase in theconsumption of snacks and fast foods, and a decrea-se in the time spent at meals, with lunch and dinnerhours becoming more and more flexible.These trends are related to various reasons, starting

    with the evolution of lifestyles: for example, the

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    Wegmans is an American chain of superstoresthat offers a wide variety of foods, especially freshproducts. The attention given to the health of thefood starts at its production; to be a Wegmans sup-plier, food producers must pass a training course,designed in collaboration with university and go-

    vernment organizations, to obtain certification

    of their good agricultural practices (GAPs). Thecompanys interest in health extends to the deve-lopment of programs for a more balanced diet andto research, with the introduction of innovativeproducts on the market and support to the Centerfor Produce Safety. In Europe, the Spanish chainof supermarkets and hypermarkets Eroski has in-cluded reducing its environmental impact as oneof its main objectives. In this direction, there is anongoing renewal of the packaging of Eroski pro-ducts, guaranteeing savings that are the equivalentof more than 2,000 tons of CO

    2emissions, for eve-

    ry one hundred products.

    Rewarding food industries that are environmental-ly conscious is a great way to encourage even morecommitment, transparency, and innovation. This isthe idea of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF),an organization founded in 1967 by the Englishfarmer Peter Roberts, which highlights the links

    between animal welfare, public health, food safety,and food issues by choosing to oppose food produc-tion with a negative impact on animal welfare. Andtherefore, on us and on the planet. Every year, the

    CIWF rewards companies that choose to use onlyeggs from free-ranging hens, or chicken meat, pork,milk, and dairy products from animals reared in arespectful manner (according to a set of criteria de-

    veloped by the CIWF o n a rigorous scientific basisand which also improve the minimum standards re-

    quired by law). In recent years, winners of the GoodEgg, Good Chicken, Good Milk, and Good Pig pri-zes have ranged from the Coop to Ikea, from Barillato Pavesi, and from Be n & Jerrys to Sainsburys.

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    Proper nutrition that takes care of the environmentis also the objective of catering facilities, such asin canteens for workers. In 2008, Intesa SanpaoloBank launched the project Gusti Giusti(Right Fla-

    vors), implemented with the collaboration of SlowFood and the CTO Maria Adelaide Hospital in Turin.Initially intended for the offices in Milano Lorenteg-

    gio and Moncalieri (Turin), today it has became a re-ality in all ten of the Groups canteens. The projectsobjective: to spread the culture of proper nutritionamong employees and reduce the CO

    2emissions re-

    lated to the supply. Even school canteens can act inthis direction: an example is the Basiglio Institute

    which, in addition to holding an Italian record forenvironmental compatibility (it is able to provide100% of their needs without drawing any from theenergy grid), also stands out for its choice of organicproducts with a short production chain that comesfrom land confiscated from the Mafia; the childrenare also served water poured from pitchers.

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    rise in womens employment and the proliferationof commitments and activities have reduced thetime spent preparing meals. And prices also play animportant role. In fact, in recent decades there hasbeen a significant decrease in overall food prices.On the other hand, it is true that this has mainlyaffected processed foods that are high in sugar andfat, while foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegeta-bles, and fish continue to have relatively high costs.It is only natural that in times of crisis, these are thefirst foods to be eliminated from the diet, in favor offoods that are less expensive but also more refinedand high in calories. Several studies have shownthat a sustainable diet based on cereals, legumes, ve-getables, and some dairy products is not necessarilymore expensive than a diet rich in meat, desserts,and ready-made meals. But the fact remains that

    this type of food choice requires a certain degree ofknowledge and available time for the preparationof food: that is why it is not surprising that, in theend, many families prefer foods with few nutrientsand high caloric density, such assweet and savory snacks, sugarydrinks, and fast food products.However, something is begin-ning to change at the level ofawareness and intention, ifnot of behavior. First of all, wepay more attention to health,placing it in relation to dietaryhabits, as shown by the resultsof research on trends and beha-viors in eating outside the home, conducted in 2011by Datamonitor in 19 countries: 67% of the respon-dents said they make an effort always or mostof the timeto eat more healthily. Concerning theenvironment,however, good news comes from arecent survey by the European Commission (Flash

    Eurobarometer 367) on the attitudes of Europeanstoward a single market for sustainable goods. Outof more than 26,000 respondents, 95% declaredthat using environmentally friendly products isthe right thing to doand 89% stated that purcha-sing sustainable products can make a difference forthe environment. A greenawareness at the tabletranslates into a new attitude toward their favoriteless-environmentally-friendly food, meat. If todayonly 3 out of 100 Europeans never eat meat andonly 15 out of 100 consume it no more than oncea week, among the regular consumers there aremany who declare themselves ready to change their

    habits. In particular, 80% of the respondents saidthey would be willing to eat less meat, as long asits origin was certified, 72% would replace beef orpork with chicken or fish, and 50% (60% in Italy)

    would replace most of the meat in their diet withvegetable alternatives.However important it may be, though, it is unlikelythat the good intentions of individuals can lead todrastic global changes. What is needed are mass ini-tiatives at various levels that will help as many pe-ople as possible to adopt an eating style consistent

    with the Double Pyramid.Take the diet of children, for example. Parentscertainly play an important role in defining thebehavior of children, but there is no doubt thatadvertising has its weight, and usually in a nega-tive way. We were reminded of this by an analysis

    carried out in 2008 on advertising contained in anAmerican television program for children: 9 out of10 commercials were related to food products thatare high in fat, salt, or added sugar, and low in nu-

    trients. In other words, junkfood. Numerous studies con-firm that advertising influencesthe food preferences of childrenand through the pressure theyput on their parents theirconsumption, directing themtoward high energy and unhe-althy foods. So this is a delica-te situation, but legislature canlend a hand. Not surprisingly, in

    recent years there has been a decline in the con-sumption of snacks for children in the countries

    where it is legislated, such as Australia, where foodadvertising was banned for children under 14 yearsof age; the Netherlands, where publicity was ban-ned for sweets for children under the age of 12; or

    Sweden, where cartoon characters cannot be usedfor advertising. Much can be done to promote moresustainable consumption also by directly interve-ning with good practices where people (children oradults) spend the most time and make most of theirfood choices: schools, workplaces, and retail out-lets. For example, even simple measures may suffi-ce at school, starting with offering a greater varietyof fruits and vegetables: according to a U.S. study(Just, Lund & Price, 2012), for every extra fruit or

    vegetable that is propose d in the canteens of e le-mentary schools, the proportion of pupils who eatat least one serving of these foods increases by 12%.

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    According to the data from the latest Eurobarome-ter survey published in July, European householdshave developed a widespread awareness of the pro-ducts that respect the environment. Two thirds ofEuropeans (66%) are convinced of the real benefitof these products on the environment and are the-refore, to varying degrees, willing to purchase them,even if their cost is slightly higher. The proportionof citizens well-disposed toward sustainable purcha-sing is also high (77%), but they nevertheless need

    more confirmation concerning the actual impact ofthe products. In fact, only 55% of the respondentsfeel informed on the environmental impact of whatthey are buying.This percentage, unchanged as compared to 2009,reflects a partially stagnant situation as far as infor-mation is concerned. The environmental impact isshown to be the third factor considered at the timeof purchase, after quality and price, and before thebrand of the product.

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    The education campaign LiveWell for LIFE,sponsored in part by the EU and launched inearly 2012 by WWF UK, the WWF European Po-licy Office, and Friends of Europe, is one of theinstitutional initiatives to spread the concept ofsustainable and healthy diet at the European le-

    vel. Start ing with France, Spain , and Swed en,the programs goal is to limit emissions of gree n-house gases in each country by 25-27% and re-duce some of the cost of daily expenditures. Li-

    veWell 2020, a WW F in itiat ive in c ollabo ratio nwith the Unive rsity of Aberd een, inten ds to doso within the next seven years, aiming to encou-rage the British to radically change their eatingstyles (for example, to go from a consumptionof 79 kilos of meat per year to only 10 kilos).There are five principles to be observed: focuson fruits and vegetables, reduce food wastage,reduce the consumption of meat and processedfoods, and choose certified foods.

    And rewards also help, as demonstrated by the suc-cess of the Food Dudes school project, which star-ted a few years ago in the UK and later extendedto other countries, including Italy. There are twocornerstones of the initiative: a cartoon developedad hocwith 4 superheroes who win over their ene-mies thanks to fruits and vegetables, and the offerof rewards (small gifts such as stickers or tradingcards) for children who choose a green snack,during recess. The result: among the participants,the consumption of fruits and vegetables increasedboth at school and at home. However, sometimesit is just a matter of presentation: it is enough tojust place the food whose consumption you want toboost so it can be seen easily and is close at hand,and in attractive containers such as colorful bowlsfor fruit, to make it more palatable. One piece ofadvice that applies not only to the young. For exam-ple, in the cafeteria at the Massachusetts GeneralHospital, they were able to reduce the consumptionof junk food by putting healthier food and drinks,

    easily identifiable thanks to a colored label, in themost accessible places. And the trick seems to workwell even in stores. An English survey conducted in2009 and 2011 in 10 major retail chains showed thatincreased purchases of sustainable products weremade near signs that had a specific approach to theissue and that proposed many products in this cate -gory by advertising them and presenting them well,perhaps even their own store brands. Moreover,accessibility and recognition are two of the issueswhich the results of the aforementioned survey bythe European Commission also advises in order topromote the consumption of sustainable products.

    The other one is the price, which should not deviatetoo much from that of non-ecological alternatives.Therefore, food proposals in the workplace playan important role in changing the eating habits ofadults. In the Brazilian city of So Paulo, an inter-

    vention program on a sample of company canteensand cafeterias with workshops on healthy coo-king for the operators and information material for

    visitors has led to an increase in the consumptionof fruits and vegetables, reducing the intake of fat-ty foods. Similar results were obtained in Denmark

    with a study conducted in eight industrial plants,in which the importance of the involvement of the

    workers representatives to promote awareness andparticipation was also demonstrated. And again: aproject to promote the Mediterranean diet withactivities regarding spreading information and cre-ating ad hoc menus is now successfully imple-mented in Barillas offices and factories in Pedri-gnano, and is also widespread in the other Barillaplants in Italy. In short, the message seems clear:

    changing eating habits and making them more su-stainable is possible, especially if it is a commongoal involving the efforts of everyone, from schooladministrators to employers, from caterers to law-makers. This point of view is strongly shared by theDepartment of Nutrition of the prestigious HarvardSchool of Public Health, which in 2013, with thecollaboration of the Culinary Institute of America,launched a yearly summit called Menus of Change,in which as many minds as possible doctors, nu-tritionists, economists, chefs, and food educators can meet to discuss new methods and strategies tomake our food more tasty, healthy, and sustainable.

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    ootprint is the sign, i.e. the impact that each food and every one of us leaves on the environment. The Ecological Footprint is the amount of land or sea required

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    behind the food. For example, as regards the coo-king of food, there are some actions that can wei-gh (positively) on the environment: reducing theamount of water used for cooking or putting thefood in the oven as soon as the appropriate tempe-rature has been reached are two simple precautionsthat affect CO

    2 emissions. These do not cost us

    anything once we have memorized them and tur-

    ned them into habits, and they also give the envi-ronment a bit of breathing space.There are similar considerations regarding thecold chain: far from being pure evil, its impact isonly relevant for frozen foods, which have a higherincidence than their freshly-bought equivalents.Finally, in terms of transport, it is interesting tonote that delivering by truck, while producing highCO

    2emissions, has less impact per kilogram than

    air transport because far greater amounts can becarried. Overall, we can summarize that complexprocesses of the production and lifecycle of a foodresult in a greater impact on the environment. It

    is important to keep these simple considerationsin mind when preparing a shopping list and alsodeciding how to consume the food. In any case,the use of fresh and seasonal foods are to be pre-ferred and attention should be paid to the type ofpackaging, which is preferably made of recycledmaterials that are, in turn, recyclable. Today, theproblem, or rather, the challenge, is to dissemi-

    nate this data to provide concrete answers andpositively influence the eating habits of people,by identifying the most effective methods ofcommunication and offering a range of everydayactions that can guide our choices toward sustai-nability.

    Gabriele Riccardi is professor of Endocrinology andPresident of the Italian Society of Diabetology. Ric-cardo Valentini is a member of the Intergovernmen-tal Panel on Climate Change. Both are members ofthe BCFN advisory board.

    how habits can change, that comfort and conve-nience also (and sometimes, especially) exist ina way of eating that is healthy and sustainable. Itis important that a sustainable diet be studied atthe global level, to understand if there is one validmodel for all or if, depending on the country, itstraditions, and its economic development, it is ne-cessary to modify the nutritional indications. Wemust also act along the supply chain, supportingfood companies and offering information on howto make their products more sustainable and howto communicate (through packaging and adver-tising that make it possible to understand whatyou have on your plate and what the effect s ofeach food are on the environment).To this, we can add the large-scale distribution,transmitting messages and making them compre-

    hensible and accessible and, why not, pointingout to consumers which products are good andwhich o nes are less so.But communication must also go through otherchannels. It is therefore necessary to launchcampaigns to explain, with data in hand, that ahealthy diet is also cost-effective and sustainable,not only in the long run, but also right away. Thiscan be done in catering, as well: corporate andschool cafeterias are the ideal place to communi-cate daily, and to a large number of people, aboutgood, healthy, and sustainable nutrition.And how to change their h abits.

    AN EATING STYLE WITHA POSITIVE IMPACT

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    The link between what we eat and the e nvironmentwe live in is now clear: in recent years, it has beenshown how taking a responsible attitude in foodchoices can promote personal we ll-being and, moreimportantly, that of the environment.In order to do this, it is important to have a sustai-nable diet, which is to say, an eating style whoseimpact on the environment as measured by in-dicators of Carbon, Water, Nitrogen and EcologicalFootprints is as low as possible. And it is intere-sting to note that the Mediterranean diet is the bestchoice, not only for health but also for the environ-

    ment, as the study of the BCFN on the model of theDouble Pyramid has confirmed.The estimated environmental impact of a food iscalculated by considering its lifecycle, which exa-mines the entire food chain, from the cultivationof raw materials, to the manufacturing, packaging,transportation, distribution, and consumption ofthe food.Thus, our choices should not just concern the typeof diet, and therefore a food regime such as the Me-diterranean diet, based on a large consumption offruits and vegetables, grains, and a reduced use ofmeat. Consumers should also understand what is

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    The Western diet, with its emphasis on meat andfoods containing empty calories, contributes to thedichotomy between the estimated 1.5 billion peo-ple worldwide who are overweight or obese, whileanother 868 million are undernourished. RecentUnited States Census Bureau statistics alarminglyreport that consumption of meats and dairy pro-ducts are twice that of fresh vegetables and fruits,

    combined. This type of diet is both nutritionallydysfunctional and depletes natural resources thatare currently scarce namely, water and workableland. These patterns of food production and con-sumption suggest a lack of understanding aboutsustainable practices for both environmental andpersonal health. In order to strengthen the rela-tionship between people, food, and the planet, gui-delines for mutually beneficial food choices mustbe effectively communicated and promoted.GoodFood, a web-based application for use on mo-bile devices, utilizes existing and credible sourcesof information to provide much-needed, personali-

    zed dietary guidelines. This information is easy toaccess, with compelling visual images that help un-

    derstand the environmental impact and the nutri-tional value of individual food choices. GoodFoodalso functions to strengthen local food economiesand build communities where consumers, produ-cers, nutrition experts, food policy advocates, andothers create profiles and share valuable food infor-mation with one another. The world and its peopleare reaching a critical junction where the choices

    we make individually are having dire effects on ourhealth and that of the environment. With GoodFo-od, the information and power to change our cur-rent counterproductive path now rest in the palmof our hands.

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    Every day, in every part of the world, many people

    buy food. What they buy varies depending on theirculture, their income, and their ethical principles.But are they really aware of how much these pur-chases mean for their health and the impact thattheir food choices have on the environment? Theacademic and scientific community provides uswith a lot of evide nce about the effects of differentdietary habits on both human health and the en-vironment. However, it is necessary to bring thisknowledge to where it can really make a difference:to the consumers. If we consider that most of thefood purchased is packaged, it is easy to imaginethat people are more likely to read what is indica-

    ted on the packaging of food than to consult scien-

    tific articles. The basic idea of my project, DoublePyramid from theory to food label, is the key stepthat was still missing in a process of growing aware-ness: to transform the Double Pyramid the modeldevised by the BCFN into a food label that is bothintuitive and easy to read, so as to provide consu-mers with the nutritional information and estima-tes on the environmental impacts of the food inquestion. A gradation of colors and two arrows atthe sides of the Double Pyramid to get the informa-tion you need, right where it can be most effective;in our hands, at the exact moment we choose whatfood to buy.

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    The BCFN actively promotes the development of young ideas and solutions to promoteconcrete contributions concerning food and nutrition. Ten ideas are evaluated each

    year at the BCFN International Forum.

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    SCENARIOS OF AMEAT-EATING PLANET

    The increase in the worlds population and the growing purchasing power of a numberof developing countries is causing an exponential rise in the demand for meat, a food

    with one of the highest environmental impacts. From artificial meat to a decreasein meat consumption, food industries, scientists, universities, and institutions are

    searching for solutions to this problem

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    One simple fact underpins the UnitedNations Food and Agricultural Organi-zations famous warning of 2009, thatworld agricul tural produc tion must double tofeed the global population of nine billion in2050. The fact is that as populations get richer,they demand more animal products. And meat,especially if it is intensively or industrially far-

    med, is a fabulously uneconomic and environ-mentally-damaging use of energy, food, and wa-ter. Currently livestock uses 40% of the worldsgrain crop and, of course, the grain used tofeed one human with meat would feed four orfive vegetarians. Could human beings hard-wi-red desire for animal protein be the greatest th-reat to future food security?The meat issue has hardly appeared at any of themany summits and governmental meetings heldon food security since food prices first startedspiking in 2008. For most governments, deve-lopment is the way to take people out of poverty

    yet development also means populations thatwill demand more meat. The simple st illustra -tion of that is Chinas meat consumption, whichhas quadrupled in the last 20 years.Professor Vaclav Smil, adviser to Barack Obamaand the pre-eminent scientist working on glo-bal food supply and the environment, says in hisnew book, Should we eat meat?(Wiley Blackwell,

    2013) that nothing foreseeable will fundamen-tally change todays practices of growing live-stock for meat, barring an unprecedented glo-bal economic depress ion.So what can we do? In the absence o f any poli-tical response, private enterprise is investing inbio-tech for solutions to the meat and resourcesproblem although some of these lie near therealms of science fiction.One recent attempt provides an intriguing in-sight into the issues and the drive rs behind thesearch for a new way of producing meat. In Au-gust 2013, at a packed media event in London,

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    grain perhaps 40% of all production is cur-rently devoted to livestock farming, much of itfor resource-expensive meat that humans do notneed for nutrition. But as food prices rise andthe population grows during this century, themarket should be able to force the necessary re-adjustments. (Let me be clear: the world has noother system to alter h uman diets.)Livestocks contribution to greenhouse gas quan-tities is a more serious issue. The Intergover-nmental Panel on Climate Change has suggestedthat animal farming and the production of in-puts contributes more damaging emissions thaneven the transport sector (although the statistichas been challenged).

    But, at the heart of the commercial need to pro-duce meat protein in a different way lie s, I wouldsuggest, another problem. And it may accountfor the fact that the bulk of the research into cul-tured meat is going on in Holland, a land- andresource-poor European country, dependent for100 years or more on imported grain from other,

    larger countries; initially from the plains of Ca-nada and the United States.The apotheosis of that trade in transferring bulkfood calories from one end of the planet to theother came with a vivid image earlier this year.The worlds biggest-ever traffic jam appearedoff the coast of Brazil. 212 of the largest freightships some of them a third of a kilometer long were waiting to load soy beans and soy meal,after the countrys greatest harvest ever. Onland, the line of trucks coming in from the Ama-zonian Mato Grosso to deliver soy to the portof Santos stretched back 24 kilometers. Whenthe ships finally loaded and the delay causedhiccups in the world soy price most of them

    were heade d to Ch ina, wh ere th ey wou ld deli vertheir protein-rich cargo to feed pigs, fish, andchickens.The traffic jam off the Brazil coast marked thetransfer of grains to livestock in the history ofthe planet. By June, 56 million tons had ship-ped to China. Chinas soy imports in 2012 were

    the food writer Josh Schonwald had what he cal-led a Neil Armstrong moment. He became thefirst human to take a bite of a burger made fromlaboratory-grown animal cells that had been co-lored and flavored with saffron, beetroot, egg,and caramel. The mouthful was the culminationof four years work by the Dutch scientist MarkPost at a cost of 250,000 euros.The price? Even today, Post could produce meatat 60 euros a kilo. Economies of scale wouldbring the price down to something competitivewith todays cheap meat. Ultima tely, th e b iore-actor in which the tissue would be built woulduse an algae, cyanobacteria, to produce the pro-teins and energy needed. It would be fuelled by

    sunlight. Other commentators, though, suggestthat it will be at least 20 years before a culturedmeat would be either available, or marketable.Independent research done at the universities ofOxford and Amsterdam has judged that the bio-reactor system could be ver y attractive. It woulduse (compared with conventional European meat

    production) 7-45% lower energy and up to 96%less water. Greenhouse gas emissions would bereduced 78-96%. The paper stated that the landarea needed to produce meat could be just 1%of what is currently devoted to meat livestock and that is currently 60% of the worlds availableagricultural land. It would free livestocks gripon resources if the public could accept it.The notion of a meat grown from animal cellsbut without using animals is very attractive. Itaddresses all the key concerns around industrialand hyper-cheap meat, from health to animal

    welfa re t o po llutio n and exces sive resou rce use.It carries none of the ethical concerns of meatmade from genetically-modified animals al-

    though that technology is already near produc-tion in salmon farming.Why, in a world where we farm more food than

    we cu rrently need, should this i dea b e of a ny in-terest outside animal liberation fanatics and ve-getarians bored of eating pulses? It is true thatan absurd amount of land and human-edible

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    analysts predict Chinese meat consumption willpeak at 90 kilos per annum, per capita which

    would consume more than a thir d of curren t to-tal world meat production. Professor Smil pointsout that even if by 2030 rich nations were eating25% less meat and fish, a mere 10% rise in con-sumption from the poor and developing nations

    would mean a massiv e ris e in d emand.What must worry meat-eaters in old rich na-tions in Europe and America is that China is notjust making sure it has a supply of animal feedcrops for the future. It is also buying the otherend of the livestock production chain. In May2013, it was announced that Smithfield, the ico-nic American meatpacking business, was beingsold to China. The company had risen, throughtakeovers, to become the worlds biggest pig far-

    mer. The buyer, Shuanghui, is Chinas biggestmeatpacker. The $4.7 billion deal, if U.S. regu-lators OK it, will be the biggest sale ever of an

    Americ an busines s to China. Together, the twofirms will slaughter more than 30 million pigsa year.The deal means that, for the first time, the majo-rity of world meat production is out of the con-trol of the old rich nations, those that first in-dustrialized. East Asia has been producing morechickens than any other region of the world forat least 10 years, and the global trade is domina-ted by a Thai company, Charoen Pokhpand. Beef and, to an extent, pork are near-monopoli-zed by another global company that comes fromthe South, Brazils JBS and that country is nowthe worlds leading exporter of beef and chicken.In 1933, Winston Churchill, then an under-employed journalist, published an essay, FiftyYears Hence. Among his predictions was this:We shall escape the absurdity of growing a who-

    le chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, bygrowing these parts separately under a suitablemedium. He was short of a few years in timinghis forecast. But the absurdity of what we nowdo to feed the planet on animal protein has ne-

    ver be en mor e app arent.

    The British journalist Alex Renton is an expert infood securit y. He writes for publica tions includi ngthe Guardian, the Times and the Observer, andhis newest book is entitled Planet Carnivorewhycheap meat costs the Earth(and how to pay thebill).

    The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) has recently published the report OurNutrient World: The challenge to produce more

    food and energy with less pollution, which hi-ghlights the problem of the unbalanced use ofmanure and fertilizers. The massive use of ni-trogen, phosphorus, and other substances thatare necessary for the growth of plants has, infact, produced an advantage from the point of

    view of nutrition and e nergy production, butit has also caused pollution of the water net-

    works and the atmosphere, with impacts onhuman health.The challenge which governments around the

    world are called to focus upon is to restricttheir use by implementing a comprehensivemanagement system for the use of fertilizers.Reducing the consumption of meat can be astep in this direction, because it would involvereducing the amount of grain intended for in-tensive breeding, with positive consequencesregarding the use of fertilizers. Thus, not a ve-getarian diet, but a demitarianone, which hal-

    ves the amount of meat currently co nsumed.

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    63 million tons, more than half of all world soytrade. This was on top of a Chinese harvest that,in 2011, was the largest any co untry in the worldhas ever known. But it will not be enough. By2022, China is forecast by the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture to import more soy than Americaor Brazil (the worlds largest producers) curren-tly grow, 102 million tons. And the Chinese go-vernme nt is making huge deals with other land-rich countries to ensure a long-term supply ofother grains like an agreement with Ukraine tosupply 3 million tons of corn per annum. Chi-nas need to feed its ever-growing population ofmeat animals is reshaping the world, says theenvironmentalist Lester Brown.Less than 20 years ago, China was self-sufficientin soy production. But that was before the count-

    ry began to get rich, and the familiar mechanismof rising affluence and higher meat consumptionkicked in. Chinese meat consumption has nearlyquadrupled in that time. Unless, of course, glo-

    bal economic growth should happen to go intolong-term reverse. If there is one single issue be-hind the dire predictions of FAO for 2050 it isChinas changing diet and the demands for meatas its population grows richer. Of course otherfactors, like climate change, inform FAOs scaryanalysis. But the simple fact that as populationsget richer, they demand more animal productsis the biggest threat to future food security. Andthere are many more hungry, poor carnivores sub-Saharan Africans currently eat around 20kilos each per year, compared with Europeans80 kilos or more.The Chinese eat hardly half that, and they har-dly use the most resource-expensive meat, beef.Indians hardly eat meat at all, but have a massi-

    ve d airy indust ry. If e conomi c grow th co ntinues

    in India, China, and other Asian tiger countri-es, by the end of this decade they will requireall the soy the world currently harvests to feedtheir dairy cows, pigs, chickens, and fish. Some

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    The wide variety of foods in the Mediterra-nean diet is an indication of its high nu-tritional quality and respect for biodiver-sity, but that is not all.Following this type of diet helps to contain costs

    which is indeed a relief to our purse strings and to respect the environment, thanks to thereduced environmental impact of fruits, vegeta-bles, pasta, bread, and yogurt. In addition, somegood news for everyone is that eating Medke-eps us beautiful and in shape longer.The first people who noticed and have appropria-ted these eating habits declared an IntangibleHeritage of Humanity by UNESCO are precise-ly the people whose job it is to be beautiful andtalented. Entertainment and sports stars fromaround the world have rediscovered a menu thatthe Italian, French, Spanish, and Greek popula-

    tions have been putting on their tables every dayfor decades, even centuries.Therefore, even if our local diet has becomemore attractive and desirable with this new pa-tina of glamour,the substance does not change.

    We are not the ones copying the celebrities, theirhabits, and the latest crazes, as usually happens,but, for once, we can actually boast and declarethat they are the ones who have drawn inspira-tion from our cuisine. Voluntarily or involun-tarily, by telling the media about their choices,they are conveying an important message abouthealth and sustainability.Many beauties of the movie and TV screen fol-low the principles of the Mediterranean diet ordiets inspired by or similar to it.Catherine Zeta Jones attributes her high ener-gy level and good humor to a diet based on ve-

    IF THEMEDITERRANEAN DIET

    IS TRENDYThe Mediterranean diet, declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO andwhich is found in Italian, Spanish, French, and Greek traditions, is now recognized

    globally as a style of healthy eating. In recent years, i ts merits have been recognizedespecially by actors, athletes, and models, who have become real testimonials,

    exporting it not simply as a trend, but as a lifestyle.

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    dish is a nice arugula salad with parmesan, hiswife Michel le has gone even furthe r. She is theproponent of the vegetable garden at the WhiteHouse and of programs to fight childhood obesi-ty and to give tips on the effects and benefits of ahealthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as wellas on its environmental sustainability.Gwyneth Paltrow, who runs every day and eats

    veget ables, fruits, and whole grains, prefe rringlegumes, fish, poultry, and eggs for protein in-take, has made the secrets of her great figureavailable to everyone, thanks to the publication

    of her cookbook.Paltrow, as well as Sarah Jessica Parker, is amember of the Food Bank for New York City, anassociation aimed at supporting people in diffi-cult economic times and spreading a culture offood that is free of social barriers. Fighting hun-ger in the world and a desire to give food its pro-per value are also in the actions of Brad Pitt andthe soccer-player Kak, linked to the World FoodProgramme.The Mediterranean diet is also the choice of dietwhen pregnan t. Italian food and an Italiannanny for Kate Middleton. And the same diet for

    Penelope Cruz, who eats pasta every day and lo-ves blue fish, artich okes, mozzare lla, and extravirgin olive oil, which also makes physic al e xer-cise easier.Small habits that give great results. Kate Hud-son, who does not believe in slimming diets,has returned to her pre-baby size due to a bet-ter awareness of what is right to eat, while CarlaBruni has chosen to limit her salt intake throughthe use of spices and herbs, and to get her pro-tein from fish and eggs.In short, foreigners really love the Made in Italy

    diet and products: pasta, buffalo mozzarella, ar-tichokes, and D.O.P. tomatoes are sought afterby celebrities who take advantage of travel andtours in Italy to stock up on goodies. So does theactor Robert de Niro, the singer Lady Gaga, andFacebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who didnot abstain from food shopping even during hishoneymoon. Some celebrities have even prefer-red to purchase a fixed retreat in Italy for en-joying delicacies: this is the case of George Cloo -ney, who owns a house on Lake Como, and Sting,

    who has an estate in Chianti shire in Tuscany,where he en joys p roducin g extra virgin o live o il.

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    getables and smaller amounts of carbohydratesand proteins, but she prefers to never mix them.Desperate housewife Eva Longoria fills up onvitami ns and anti-s tress substan ces through ve-getable and fish protein, especially blue fish, richin Omega-3 essential fatty acids, while productsthat are too refined and dishes that are overlyprocessed are banned from her pantry.In fact, among the magic ingredients in theMediterranean diet, not only are there the rightproportions of the different nutrients such as ve-getables, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, but

    also one of the most undervalued things in theWestern world: simplicity.Today, however, the ability to prepare disheswith just a fe w t hings, such as b read, tomato es,olive oil, and basil, which can be turned intobruschetta, panzanella, or pappa al pomodorodepending on the type of preparation and theaddition of other ingredients, is no longer consi-dered as a necessity for coping with poverty, buta symbol of tasty and healthy e ating.Putting more vegetables, fruits, and vegetableprotein on the table does not only mean savin-gs in energy resources but also in personal ones.

    Since he has been engaged to the actress Oli-via Wilde, who is a veget arian and an e xcelle ntcook, the actor Jason Sudeikis said that by e ating

    veget able dis hes a bit m ore oft en, he h as stopp edgaining weight.Foods with little processing are digested moreeasily and their light and fast cooking enhancesthe nutritional quality of foods. This helps forbetter performance in school, at work, and evenon the sports field, w hich is a well-known fact toItalys national soccer team.

    At W imbledo n, a thlete s k eep their muscle s an d

    reflexes in shape with whole grain bread and cra-ckers, fresh and dried fruit, and low-fat yogurt.Switzerlands Roger Federer, who over the yearshas brought home 17 Grand Slam wins, is an avo-

    wed fan of the Medite rranean diet: before eachmatch, he eats a plate of pasta or rice topped

    with tomato sauce.More than a diet, ours is a lifestyle that is muchloved and promoted by women around the world.If the President of the United States, BarackObama, defeated his opponent in the electioncampaign, John McCain who propagandizedBBQ pork and beef by stating that his favorite

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    COOKING FORTHE PLANET

    From Tataki in San Francisco, to the Blue Hill restaurants in Manhattan, to theneighborhood of the British Museum in London, the location of Arthur Potts Dawsons

    supermarket of everything that has enthused the British people: the trend inrestaurants and supermarkets that take care of people by paying great attention to the

    health of the environment.

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    From a provocative definition such as su-stainable sushi to an obsession for localfood applied on a large scale, to the bat-

    tle against food wastage undertaken to educatethe extremities of the food chain, from farm tofork... Increasingly, star chefs but also pub coo-ks are taking on a key role in the interpretationof sustainability, applying this concept to theircooking.In fact, as stated long ago by Jonathan SafranFoer, now we know, we are the generation thathas the responsibility of this knowledge, and

    we cannot be entren ched behind a suppos edignorance regarding our food choices. More andmore, we are bombarded with articles, studies,and documentaries that warn us about the con-sequences of our diet: consequences that affectboth our health and the environment that sur-rounds us.Yet, one often gets the impression that this hypeabout no-no food and yes food has the effectof confusing the consumer. What really is goodfor me? What will have less impact on the en-vironm ent? Here then, the chefs may be ableto respond effectively to these questions, giving

    an empirical spin to the results of studies andsurveys.For example, an interesting case is that of Ta-taki (www.tatakisushibar.com) in San Francisco,

    which is figh ting to bring s ustaina bility i nto on eof the most unsustainable dishes in the world:sushi. As Paul Greenberg stated so well in FourFish, The global rise of sushi, coupled with anincapacity at the international level to formulatea functional agreement on tuna fishing, has ledto the progressive decline of many fish stocks.

    Along with tuna, howev er, the re ar e many other

    species affected by this fashion without borders(from Japan to the United States, almost everyo-ne likes sushi, even those who do not usually likefish). Tataki began like so many other restaurantsof this type: serving bluefin tuna and swordfishregardless of their environmental impact. Ho-

    weve r, at som e poi nt, it radica lly ch anged p aths,replacing the endangered species with other lessobvious fish whose stocks are abundant and he-althy, and succeeding in creating harmony andbalance between the delicate flavor of the fishand the fragility of marine ecosystems. Anotherequation that Tataki seems to have solved is that

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    to experience the ideas of Arthur Potts Dawson,who o wes hi s fame to the fact o f being Mick Jag -gers grandson, but especially to the scope of hisideas, which have also become the subject of adocumentary broadcast by Channel 4.Sustainability, reducing food waste, and conve-nience are the three pillars of the Peoples Su-permarket (www.thepeoplessupermarket.com),a real point of reference not only for white-col-lar workers and authentic Londoners, but alsofor the unemployed and immigrants of differentnationalities.

    It is a cooperative you join by paying a small sumto the partnership and by committing to con-tribute four hours of volunteer work monthly.In return, you are entitled to a 10% discounton your expenditures, the opportunity to deci-de what is sold in the supermarket and it isno coincidence that the choice falls on organic,local, and fair-trade products , as well as theopportunity to sample at the Peoples Supermar-ket those imperfect foods that large retailers

    would have d estroy ed rat her th an dist ribute d onthe street. Dawson seems to have learned wellfrom the many books published on the subject

    of waste in recent years. For example, in Wa-ste, Tristram Stuart cites plenty of figures andhighlights the scope of what we allocate to thegarbage daily, from the field to the supermarketshelf, to the table.Instead, arriving at the Peoples Supermarket

    witho ut having travel ed too many miles, anddirectly from the manufacturer, there are alsoslightly crooked carrots, lumpy potatoes, andspotty apples.Quite the opposite of what happens in the re-tail giants, infamous for large amounts of food

    produce refused or thrown away before their de -adline. The environment clearly gains a lot be-cause the Peoples Supermarket administers itsresources in the best way possible. And our he-alth? Well, it is on the side of the fresh, the local,and the natural. And all these elements are gua-ranteed, in London, near the British Museum.Health and the environment. From many pointsof view, these are deeply interconnected topics.

    And in ev ery co rner of the wo rld, th ere are chefsand cooks prepared to illustrate this. To educateclients about healthier lifestyles. To tell us that ifthe planet is better, well feel better, too.

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    WHEN A HOE CAN BEFOUND IN THE KITCHEN

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    Enrico Crippa, who was born in 1971, is a chef

    whose restaurant Piazza Duomo earned thecoveted three Michelin stars this year, and

    he is probably one of the few chefs who has wonover the hearts of clients and critics, especially be-cause of his salads. His restaurant features the die-tary models that are consistent with the DoublePyramid developed by the Barilla Center for Food& Nutrition illustrating that the foods which arebest for the body (vegetables, fruits, and cereals) arealso those with a lower environmental cost and isparticularly interesting for this reason. In a worldwhere 1,600 liters of water are used in order to pro-duce 100 grams of ground beef, while only 19 litersare needed to produce a pound of tomatoes, and 133liters are required for the same amount of bread, itis essential to give due importance to gastronomicingredients with a lower environmental impact,even though they are apparently often overlookedbecause considered less refined.

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    Yes, we feel very close to the green component:the vegetables, the leafy greens, and the sprouts. Somuch so, that when the project for the restaurantarose, that was one of my first requests: to be able

    to have a garden where we could grow things usingbiodynamic cultivation, because I strongly believein vegetables. And then, Italy is the land of vegeta-bles. So, this desire of mine managed to materializethanks to the Ceretto family, who allowed me to doit and have always been very supportive. And thanksalso go to those who have constantly worked withme on the vegetable garden project.

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    Yes, a little. The difficulty is also due to the geogra-phical area where it is located, that is, the Langhearea. You see, I would really prefer to cook only

    vegetable dishes. However, this is virtually impossi-ble: a bit because we are in Piedmont, an area that isstrongly connected to meat, cheese, hazelnuts, andtruffles; and a bit because we operate in an area thatproduces great wines, especially reds, whose perfect

    pairing is with meat. In addition, this area is stron-gly linked to the territory, with a culinary traditionthat is deeply influenced by the winter seasons (justthink of braised meats, agnolotti, tajarin with roastdrippings, and pot roast). But I am satisfied, becau-se I have managed to create my own style, my ownpath, and my own way of thinking about cooking,

    where my green signature is always present.

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    from one village to another in the vicinity of whe-re he lived. I was curious about seeing him there,choosing and discussing with the vendors and thenreturning home to spread out his purchases on thetable and decide what he would cook. It was nice, Idont how else to express it. Also, he had fought in

    Albania and Greece, and was a bit of a hero to me.Whatever I did was in imitation of him and there-fore, probably, he is the one who pushed me to get

    where I am today.

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    Absolutely, if you have ever eaten a freshly picked

    tomato from your grandfathers or your fathers gar-den, you know how it tastes. When you have thetaste of a genuine product in mind, you cannot eatanything else.

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    What I said about the memory of feelings that youexperienced so many years before often happens

    with regard to vegetables and fruits. For example,during the harvest period, we often serve fresh ha-zelnuts that have just been shelled, neither roasted

    nor dried. A short time ago, there was a lady aboutsixty who called me over after tasting them to tellme that it had reminded her of when she used to ga-ther hazelnuts with her grandmother. And she trulylit up. It wasnt because of the dish, but because ofthat very small element, that particular taste. Thislittle thing meant a lot to me.

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    On our menu you will find cod, with Jerusalem ar-tichokes, even sweet potatoes. Perhaps at one time,though much less nowadays, there was an associa-tion between a great restaurant and great foods,such as caviar, lobster, and stuff like that. Those whounderstand the message we want to give by usingproducts from our vegetable garden are aware of thecosts we have in carrying it out: I have to pay twopeople to work eight or ten hours a day, seven daysa week. It is like having two more people workingin the kitchen. The real luxury is no longer buyinga tin of caviar, but being able to buy four hoes and atrimmer to tidy up your garden.

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    Yes, that is what I hope. Also because I really believein this new way of eating, in which vegetables havea dominant role. We have more and more vegetarianor vegan customers who are fond of our restaurant.I also see consumers paying greater attention to far-mers markets: they are highly successful, in part forthe prices, and in part for the quality. And then the-

    re has been so much input, such a lot of discussionabout the fact that mankind was probably not borncarnivorous because, physically, we are much closerto herbivores: our teeth, for example, or the factthat our intestines are as long as those of herbivo-res and not as short as those of carnivores. So muchthe better when it is fashionable to be fit, healthy,and beautiful, if it means a higher consumption of

    vegetables, vegetable protein, and fish. I honestlythought that our daily diet had changed a little, alsoseeing what occurs in the restaurant, but it seemslike the data says that the changes have not been soremarkable... What I can tell you is that when Scan-dinavians come here, perhaps because they do nothave all the vegetables that we do because of theirclimatic conditions, they go crazy when they seeour salads. They light up and make you understand

    that, probably, the future is right there. I have al-ways liked to cook w ith vegetables, I have alwaysbelieved in them, and in the end, it gives me moresatisfaction to work with those raw materials thangoing to the butcher and buying a hunk of meat thatis already set to be cooked. Taking something fromthe earth, washing it, cleaning it, paying attentionto the weather forecasts, to the cold, heat, drought,or hail...

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    Absolutely, seasonality should be followed and re-spected. This year, for example, we finished collec-ting the asparagus in late June. And the customers

    were telling us: How can that be, you have aspara-gus on the menu in June? That is how it went this

    year, it was a strange season. In August, the zucchini

    were slow to ripen, while in July we gathered up twoor three cases a day and the diet of the kitchen staff

    was: pasta with zucchini, boiled zucchini, stuffedzucchini... But I like having to adapt my menu to

    what I can pull from the garden.

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