ABC : NSW election : climate change and food consumption

NSW election: Where the parties stand on tackling climate change through food consumption

ABC Radio Sydney 

By Amanda Hoh

Less meat, more vegetables and legumes is the message scientists and nutritionists are calling for when considering ways to combat climate change.

There are calls to label food to rank how much it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and a planet (low-meat) diet is said to be good for the environment and our health.

Conversely the Western diet, which includes high consumption of meat and processed foods, puts pressure on the environment, according to Daniel Mason-D'Croz from the CSIRO.

He suggested we should be eating only one serving of meat a week, or roughly 70 to 100 grams.

"[Agriculture] is one of the biggest users of land around the world ... and leads to increases in deforestation and degradation of ecosystems," he told ABC Radio Sydney.

"It's one of the leading users of fresh water, and the management of chemical inputs can be a factor in pollution and water waste, which also impacts biodiversity."

So is it time for our politicians to listen to the experts and help us reduce our carbon footprint through the food we eat?

Armidale resident Joshua Barlin certainly thinks so, and asked the ABC via You Ask, We Answer:

"Are any of the parties going to do anything to help promote the planet diet — reducing the amount of meat and increasing veggies?

"We're talking about promoting the environment and they [political parties] also seem to be talking about boosting health, so I thought why not do it both at the same time?"

So we put the question to the parties that currently have members in the NSW Lower House.

Liberals

A spokesman for Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said the planet diet question was "not for this department" and instead would be better directed to the health portfolio.

NSW Health said the Government promoted healthy eating through its various early childhood services and school programs, and encouraged healthy food and drink in school canteens.

It did not mention any initiatives in relation to food consumption and climate change.

"The NSW Government is committed to promoting healthy eating through our Healthy Eating and Active Living Strategy and the Premier's priority to reduce childhood overweight and obesity by 5 per cent by 2025," a spokeswoman said.

"This financial year, $38 million has been invested towards reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity."

Labor

Labor's environment spokesperson Penny Sharpe said the party was committed to supporting primary industries across the state but currently did not have plans to tackle climate change through food consumption.

"Climate change is impacting on every farmer in NSW, and Labor will take real action on climate change through initiatives such as massively supporting increased renewable energy, looking at innovative ways to reduce emissions through our waste systems, reducing emissions through land clearing and using soils as a carbon sinks.

"The question about how people consume food and its impact on climate is not currently in our plans."

Greens

Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and environment spokesperson, said the party recognised both the health and environmental reasons to reduce meat consumption and increase fruit and vegetables in the average Australian diet.

She said the Greens encouraged farmers to combat climate change through regenerative grazing and no-till seeding.

Ms Faehrmann also noted that plant-based diets could have "serious environmental and climate impacts" and supported ongoing research and education.

"The Greens also support the phasing out of intensive meat and egg production such as feedlots and caged hens, both for their unacceptable animal welfare impacts and because they have significantly higher environmental costs and associated carbon emissions than free-range farming.

"However the Greens also recognise that animals are an integral part of farming systems and we need to be conscious of where all our food comes from and how it is produced."

Nationals

The NSW Nationals said it continued to "wholeheartedly" support the agricultural industry.

"The Nationals don't believe it is our place to tell people what they should eat, but we do support the idea of people making sensible decisions about their diet based on sound medical advice.

"That being said, the Nationals do wholeheartedly support our beef, lamb, poultry, pork, dairy, fishing, goat meat industries, along with our fruit and vegetable farmers."

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers believe the planet diet is "overhyped and somewhat ill-considered", and that meat "is healthy and can form part of a good diet".

A spokesman said many small towns across rural Australia depended on the livestock industry and the party was concerned about the Government's promotion of "movements" that could lead to job losses.

"We've seen the devastation the gutting of the cattle industry has had on farmers and their families," he said.

"Government policies and reforms destroyed an industry, but government did very little to help those who lost their jobs, businesses and livelihoods."

The spokesman said the party acknowledged that reducing meat and increasing vegetables could have benefits, but "at the end of the day, we're not going to dictate or police what people should or should not eat"