According to a report, Indian sustainable eating habits like limiting food wastage, preferring vegetarian food and consuming locally sourced foods can help tackle global climate change, which is threatening the world. It is a serious issue. The recent Living Planet report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) revealed that the food consumption pattern followed by Indians is the most climate-friendly among the G20 countries. It says that if people in other countries adopt the Indian diet, the world will need 0.84 percent of the earth’s land to support food production by 2050. The food system is one of the major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Shravani Mali, consumer analyst at data analytics company GlobalData, said India has accelerated the vegan movement in recent years, especially in metropolitan cities. “The country’s current food consumption practices emphasize plant-based diets and climate-resilient crops like millet, which require fewer resources and generate fewer emissions than meat-heavy diets,” Mali said. ” To have a broader focus on sustainability”.
Citing GlobalData’s recent consumer survey, Mali said 79 per cent of Indians said sustainable or eco-friendly features are essential when purchasing food and drinks. “The traditional Indian diet consists primarily of pulses, grains and vegetables. These traditional diets, which emphasize seasonal and local produce, are becoming more popular as environmental issues are receiving greater attention. As a result, awareness As consumers grow, the environmental burden can be reduced by adopting traditional dietary practices that prioritize plant-based foods, Mali said.
Deepak Nautiyal, consumer and retail commercial director for APAC and Middle East at GlobalData, lauded the government for launching several initiatives to promote environmentally sustainable practices in the country. He cited the National Millet Campaign and International Year of Millets (2023) campaigns launched by the government to promote the production and consumption of millets. Millet is an environmentally sustainable source of food and nutrition. Additionally, the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) also aims to improve climate-resilient farming. Mali said climate-friendly diets, especially Indian sustainable eating habits, could be key in tackling critical global environmental and health challenges.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
