Animal foods - yes or no? There is no ONE answer!

Do we need animal products? Do foods of animal origin contribute to a healthy diet? How bad for the environment are foods of animal origin? Questions that polarize and are controversially discussed in politics, research and society. An international team of scientists has compiled data and facts about animal-based foods, looked at the global impact on nutrition and the environment depending on the initial situation, location and needs of people, and listed the advantages and disadvantages of animal-based foods.

It is undisputed that intensive, non-area-bound animal husbandry in particular has negative environmental and climate effects. A sharp reduction in the consumption of animal-based foods has the greatest potential in rich countries to reduce the ecological footprint of the food system. However, it will not work entirely without animal husbandry, because there are numerous locations in the world with poor soil that is unsuitable for arable farming and can only be used for food production with the help of ruminants. If animal husbandry is practiced, animal and plant production should be linked more closely in the sense of a circular economy in order to minimize negative environmental impacts and conserve resources, according to the authors of the study.

The study also explores the role that the consumption of meat and other animal-based foods plays in our diet. From a global perspective, there are definitely different perspectives.

It is well known that an excessive consumption of red meat, processed animal foods and saturated fat can have negative effects on health and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. So far, this has mainly been the case in industrialized countries. Here, the consumption of animal-based foods would have to be shifted significantly in favor of plant-based foods.
In other countries and societies, on the other hand, more animal-based foods would help to improve people's nutritional situation. Minerals such as iron and zinc from animal foods can supplement a plant-based diet and thus reduce malnutrition and malnutrition. This applies in particular to many African and Asian countries.

In the study “Friend or Foe? The Role of Animal-Source Foods in Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Be Diets' to the conclusion that there is no ONE answer to the question of whether meat and animal products are friend or foe. Rather, the local conditions and needs of consumers as well as their nutritional and environmental conditions should be considered. The results of the study are published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Renate Kessen, www.bzfe.de