WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity today urged the federal committee that will soon finalize its recommendations on the 2020 national dietary guidelines to include assessments of food sustainability, climate and accessibility in its report to the Trump administration.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated every five years, are intended to protect public health and food security. The document serves as a government-approved blueprint for healthy diets and is widely used in nutrition-education programs and to set meal plans for government institutions, including schools, prisons, military facilities and federal cafeterias.
The Centers call for a broader scientific assessment comes after the Trump administration arbitrarily limited the scope of the review by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, excluding research demonstrating how plant-focused diets are more sustainable and climate-friendly.
The pandemic has vividly exposed how our current industry-friendly system prevents equal access to sustainable, healthy, safe foods, said Stephanie Feldstein, population and sustainability director at the Center. Amid the current COVID-19 crisis and the escalating extinction and climate emergencies we cant afford for these important dietary guidelines to be just another gift to the meat and dairy industry.
The committees review of the scientific topics that were predetermined by the Trump administration kicked off a comment period that closes on Wednesday. In a draft scientific report due on June 17 the committee will present its recommendations for the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to the public.
In recent weeks the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted troubling production bottlenecks in the nations highly inflexible, industry-driven food system that heavily prioritizes production of cheap meat over the safety of workers and equitable consumer access to healthy, sustainable foods.
But the Trump administrations unprecedented decision to limit consideration of research on food sustainability and accessibility restricts the dietary advisory committees ability to recommend changes to the food guidelines that could help address those problems.
Plant-focused diets are critical for public health and the future of the planet, said Feldstein. But it wont work if people dont have full access to them, and if the government doesnt play its part to make sure they make it to our plates.
In the comments submitted today to the Federal Register, the Center noted that sustainable, plant-forward diets are strongly supported by science to promote public health, protect food security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A study released earlier this year by University of Michigan and Tulane University found that replacing 50% of animal products with plant-based foods in the American diet would prevent more than 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gas pollution by 2030. The Center recommended that the dietary guidelines call for reduced consumption of meat and dairy, particularly limiting red and processed meats.
The 2015 Scientific Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee included sustainability considerations for the first time, which were widely supported by the public and health experts. However, following pressure from the meat and dairy industry, sustainability was omitted from the final recommendations.
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Trump Administration Urged to Consider Sustainability, Climate, Accessibility in New US Dietary Guidelines - Center for Biological Diversity
