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How Policy in Europe Promotes the Plant Based Diet?

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report by NaHhaft published in February 2024, Policy Strategies and Instruments for the Promotion of a Plant-Based Diet in Europe. Promoting Plant-based food is an effective way to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a single step. This research outlines policy strategies and developments promoting plant-based diets at various levels. This report aims at municipal, national, and regional political decision-makers in Europe. It supports them in completing their tasks to produce a policy roadmap that maintains the SDG’s sustainability for stakeholders.

1. Ongoing developments and policies for promoting a plant-based diet

1.1 International developments

International developments and policies are crucial in promoting A plant-based diet because they provide a coordinated and coherent worldwide response to the problematic challenges in our food system. In an international working system, different countries can achieve the same goals and techniques to promote a plant-based diet up to the minute and facilitate a sustainable future.

1.2 Global developments

Plant Based Diet: United Nations

The UN team adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 and decided on sustainable development that will be implemented in 2030(United Nations, n.d.a). The topics in SDGs are hunger, health, poverty, gender, cleaning and sanitation, climate action, and sustainable cities. Various SDGs include SDG Number 2SDG Number 3, and SDG Number 12, which indirectly includes the promotion of a plant-based diet.

Adopting a more plant-based diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions and usage, increasing global food security. Population health is improved by adopting a plant-based diet, reducing the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

It is an initiative of the UN that goals to adopt SDGs in 2030. Experts, representative companies, and stakeholders work together at the summit to create solutions and strategies. Summit of 2021 includes the goal of promoting a plant-based diet.

It is an international agreement created in 1993 and signed by 195 countries. The CBD aims for sustainable utilization of biological diversity.

Health and physical activity have been available since 2004, and a valuable diet, including pulses, vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, and nuts, is essential for the population and individuals(World Health Organisation).

2. Development of policy in Europe

2.1 CAP (Common Agricultural Policy)

Implementing the CAP involves strategies and frameworks that indirectly promote a plant-based diet. CAP improves agricultural production and supports farmers, aiming to ensure an economical food supply. It supports European Union farmers in earning reasonable profits and is responsible for maintaining rural areas. 

2.2 EU Green deal

European Union supporting Plant Based

The EU Green Deal aims to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, minimizing pollution for human life protection and Plant and animal life. It involves three steps: reducing chemical use in crops and agriculture, minimizing postharvest losses, and improving and changing average healthy diets(containing less animal-based food).

These three levers will improve the European food system’s biodiversity, climate, and nutritional quality. These steps will reduce the 20%  greenhouse gas emission and minimize the biodiversity changes.

2.3 Farm to Folk Strategy

The farm-to-folk strategy includes sustainable food production, food processing and distribution, and sustainable food consumption to help reduce food loss and waste. A Form Fox strategy aims for a sustainable, secure, and healthy food system with affordable prices and fair trade. The research and innovation policy of the EU 4 2013 supports the farm-to-fin strategy and the European Green Deal. It aims to provide a sustainable and healthy diet, rove resource efficiency, and a sustainable food system to support community empowerment and development.

Other strategies include the biodiversity strategy, Green Public Procurement (GPP), Bioeconomy strategy, and a strategy on nutrition, overweight, and obesity-related health issues.

3. Food policy instruments that can promote the plant-based diet

Food policy instruments to promote the Plant-based diet include nutrition information and dietary education, market transparency, and advertising restrictions and bans. These policy instruments further have subsections of provision of data, information campaigns, food-based dietary guidelines,  training, further education, and counseling labels of advertising products that are harmful to health or the environment.

Despite Europe’s success in plant-based meat alternatives, hurdles remain, including preventing plant waste brands’ emergence.

4. Challenges while promoting the policy for Plant-based

Nutrient Deficiency

There are many challenges to implementing the policy for the plant-based diet. The challenges include the fact that vegan diets are deficient in micronutrients like iodine, selenium,  vitamin D, and vitamin b12. The problem is that the nutrients do not occur in the Plant, so vegans must rely on taking supplements that contain the micronutrients that are not present in vegetables or plant-based diets.

5. How should problems about the Plant-based be addressed?

We should address negative views of the planet instead of ignoring and criticizing them. It will be a critical challenge for us to eliminate the problems.

Ultimately, the healthiest plant-based alternatives should be prioritized to establish trust in the plant-based industry. Focus on the better version of the limitations to gain the people’s trust.

Farmers Cultivating Plant Based Foods

Another hurdle can be farmer reluctance and their need for knowledge about plant-based trends. Some farmers fear cultivating the plant-based method, which will threaten their livelihoods and profits. We need to ensure that farmers have the proper training and that the government supports the procedure to cultivate more of these crops and increase cultivation and production. We should establish a promotion policy and advertising regulations to remove these hurdles from the plant-based industry. The government should support farmers producing plant proteins because consumer preferences have changed towards a plant-based diet.

This sustainable health and food has existed for thousands of years, but why should people of this age pay much attention to this area? 

With the increasing rate of diseases like overweight, malnutrition issues, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases, the public is facing health crises and environmental crises. Greenhouse gas emissions and beef directly emit methane and indirectly convert tropical forests for animal feed and postures. With the increasing problems worldwide, scientific opinion calls for vast changes to credit it.

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