Martin Bowman’s Post

This is scandalous!!! Eating just about 15 crops when there are 250,000 to 300,000 known edible plant species is not only limiting ourselves too much but also enabling rapid loss of' agro-biodiversity'. According to FAO, more than 90% of crop varieties have disappeared from farmers’ fields; half of the breeds of many domestic animals have been lost and many fish species are becoming extinct – all because of our narrow choice of diets. 😪 But come to think of it!!! It’s human beings’ omnivorous diet that has allowed our brains to develop and get bigger and smarter over time. The theory is that we developed to become long-distance runners, hunting prey by running it down and tiring it out. Being able to eat meat (sustainably) meant our brains could evolve more! 😂 As time’s gone on, humans have evolved to depend on a wide range of nutrients and micro-nutrients to thrive. Research shows us that a more diverse diet helps us live longer and lowers our risk of disease. There’s evidence to show that a diet consisting of five or six food groups is associated with reduced risk for a range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, asthma, food allergies and depression. Let s eat variety!!!

Very interesting take on the recent FAO Report Pathways to Lower Emissions. The report found that dietary change only has the potential to reduce 2-5% of emissions from the entire food system. The author of the study on which this number is based on wrote a letter to the FAO to request the retraction of their report due to "the combination of the framing of the analysis, the report’s inappropriate choice of source data, and errors that seriously distort the findings of scientific papers of which they are co-authors." They cite other reseach that estimates that the potential reduction of emissions from the food system through dietary change can be as high as 29% instead of the 2-5% found in the FAO's report. Read the blogpost here https://lnkd.in/eJiczdiF

𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 100+ 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐍 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 FAO 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 “𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬” 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. The report contains serious errors that downplay the emissions saving potential of lower-meat diets. The real potential of shifting to healthy lower-meat diets (EAT-Lancet) is a staggering 6 to 40 times higher than the FAO estimates.   As the letter states "It is extremely concerning that such basic failures of analysis made it into a published FAO report without being flagged during the peer-review process.”   We urge the FAO to acknowledge this fact and reassess its internal processes to prevent such grave mistakes from happening again. Diet shifts are not a minor, but a leading solution to drive down emissions in the food sector.      The full letter can be found in the PDF attached. #ClimateChange #FAO #LivestockIndustry #LowerMeatDiet #Sustainability #EmissionsReduction

Increased meat consumption has several effects on health, the environment, and society. High income countries are consuming more meat if compare with lower/ middle income countries. 🔵 #Health Effects 📍Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases: High consumption of red & processed meats is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers (such as colorectal cancer), & type 2 diabetes. 📍Obesity and Weight Gain: Diets high in meat, particularly processed and fatty meats, can contribute to weight gain and obesity. 📍Antibiotic Resistance: The use of antibiotics in livestock can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can be transferred to humans. 🔵 #Environmental Effects 📍Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Livestock farming is a significant source of methane and other greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. 📍Deforestation and Habitat Loss: Expanding meat production often involves clearing forests for pasture or feed crops, leading to loss of biodiversity and disruption of ecosystems. 📍Water Usage and Pollution: Meat production requires large amounts of water and can lead to water pollution through runoff containing fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste. 🔵 #Societal Effects 📍Food Security: Increasing meat consumption in wealthier populations can strain resources and reduce the availability of plant-based foods, affecting global food security. 📍Economic Impact: The meat industry is a significant source of employment and economic activity, but it can also contribute to economic inequality and exploitative labor practices. 🔵 #Ethical Considerations 📍Animal Welfare: High meat consumption often involves intensive farming practices that raise concerns about the welfare and treatment of animals. 📍Cultural & Social Impacts: Meat consumption is deeply rooted in many cultures, and changes in consumption patterns can have complex social and cultural implications. Reducing meat consumption and shifting towards more plant-based diets can mitigate many of these negative effects, benefiting both personal health and the environment. https://lnkd.in/ddmequwC.

Nearly 90% of what the world’s population eats comes from no more than 15 crops. This over-specialization reduces our resilience to climate and conflict shocks. In a webinar organized by the T20/G20, Anna Lappé, our Executive Director, discusses the recent evolution to “food monotony” and why we need a shift to crop and diet diversification. Listen to her talk: https://bit.ly/4dfxELe #foodsystems #foodsystemstransformation #climateaction

I am one of the convenors of the major postharvest conference being held in in Rotorua, New Zealand in November 2024. This large meeting includes FAVHEALTH 2024. Fruit and vegetables play a critical role in the diet and are gaining increased attention with a shift to more sustainable diets and people adopting vegan/vegetarian/flexitarian eating patterns. ‘A diet rich in fruit and vegetables’ is a key component of so-called ‘green prescriptions’ for people wanting to manage ‘Metabolic Syndrome’: the cluster of health conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Plant-based diets are also recommended from the viewpoint of the health of the planet, increasing the sustainability of agricultural production. In recent years we have seen a health claim for green kiwifruit accepted by EFSA and acceptance of a genetically-modified purple tomato by USDA. Know someone who works in this area? Make sure you let them know about this. We would love abstracts in a whole range of topics in this space. More info here: https://lnkd.in/g4aZ7NfU

'The researchers found that adopting a flexitarian diet could lower methane and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture and lower the impacts of food production on water, nitrogen and biodiversity. This in turn could reduce the economic costs related to human health and ecosystem degradation and cut GHG emissions pricing, or what it costs to mitigate carbon, by 43% in 2050. The dietary shift models also show limiting peak warming to about 1.5C can be achieved by 2045 with less carbon dioxide removal, compared with if we maintain our current diets. “It’s important to stress that flexitarian is not vegetarian and not vegan,” Humpenöder says. “It’s less livestock products, especially in high-income regions, and the diet is based on what would be the best diet for human health.”' https://lnkd.in/eCJhzreG

🎉Massive news!🎉100+ orgs/experts call on FAO to retract report, over serious errors understating climate benefits of lower-meat diets. The real potential of shifting to healthy lower-meat diets (EAT-Lancet) is a staggering 6 to 40 times higher than the FAO estimates. The scientists who co-authored the two main papers used in the report have already accused the FAO of distorting their work and are calling for the report’s retraction. 📢Now 100+ groups/experts have backed their call for the report be retracted - coordinated by Feedback , the letter is signed by Greenpeace, Changing Markets Foundation, Friends of the Earth US, ActionAid US, Compassion in World Farming, Compassion in World Farming, International Accountability Project, Seeding Sovreignty, numerous academic experts, Connecticut State Representative David Michel, investor Adasina Social Capital, and many others. I commented for Business Green: "The FAO has made serious and embarrassing errors in its Pathways report - these mistakes are a stain on the FAO's reputation, unless rectified. People will rightly ask whether FAO staff have simply been incompetent, or whether this indicates systematic bias against dietary change." Read the full letter/my blog explaining more: https://lnkd.in/eEExktS2 Business Green coverage: https://lnkd.in/emem-cq7 #food #meat #plantbased #lessandbettermeat #climatechange #climatecrisis #biglivestock #defundbiglivestock #FAO

UN Declares May 30th as International Potato Day The UN has declared May 30th as International Potato Day, recognizing the potato's vital role in food security, nutrition, and industry. Learn about the German potato industry's contributions and the importance of potatoes in sustainable agriculture and global diets. https://lnkd.in/eYrkEmi9

An international research team led by the World Vegetable Center, and including scientists from CIFOR-ICRAF, has been awarded the prestigious Cozzarelli Prize for an article on the potential of ‘forgotten’ food crops in sub-Saharan Africa to provide healthy diets in a changing climate. The research explores how underutilized traditional African food plants can improve dietary health, diversify, and replace staple crops. The study identified 58 micronutrient-rich crops suitable for integration into cropping systems under current and projected climatic conditions, including Mango, okra, onion, sweetsop, jackfruit, coconut, finger millet, and bitter gourd. This diversification offers a promising solution to combat malnutrition and ensure food security in a changing climate. "Our results suggest that diversifying sub-Saharan African food production with forgotten food crops could improve climate resilience and dietary health. But to successfully mainstream these foods, it is crucial that we work closely with both local producers and consumers." Stepha McMullin Read the official announcement:🔗 https://bit.ly/49TNhWu Read/download the publication: 🔗 https://bit.ly/42afyF1 #Trees4Resilience | PNAS Maarten van Zonneveld | Enoch Gbenato Achigan-Dako | Wei-Hsun Hsieh | Yann-Rong Lin |