Modest changes to meat and dairy consumption could help Scotland meet climate goals while improving health and nutrition, according to research released on July 3.
A modeling study found that substituting vegetables, beans, and eggs for processed and unprocessed meat and dairy could deliver environmental and health benefits without increasing the overall cost of diets. Experts say making healthier, more sustainable food options more accessible and convenient could help accelerate progress towards climate and public health goals.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh assessed 33 different ways of meeting the UK Climate Change Committee's recommendations for sustainable diets. The research examined the impact of dietary changes on greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, nutrient intake, diet costs, and health conditions including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The study found that reductions in meat and dairy consumption were associated with improvements in health outcomes as well as environmental indicators across all scenarios modeled. Researchers noted that even small substitutions in everyday meals such as sandwiches or pasta dishes could yield meaningful long-term benefits for both people and the planet. Replacing some meat with a variety of alternative foods did not adversely affect nutrient intake. While lower dairy consumption could considerably reduce iodine intake among some groups, this may be addressed through iodine fortification of plant-based dairy alternatives.
The findings challenge perceptions that more sustainable diets are necessarily more expensive; most dietary changes had little impact on overall food costs. The study suggests targeting people who consume the largest amounts of processed or unprocessed red meat could deliver the greatest benefits. Helping high consumers move toward lower intakes was predicted to prevent almost 60,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over a ten-year period while also achieving greater environmental gains.
All modeled dietary pathways resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions along with reductions in land and water use. The research also found that emissions associated with food consumption by adults in Scotland—including imported food—exceed those from agricultural production within Scotland itself. The findings highlight the importance of dietary change alongside efforts to reduce agricultural emissions.
