(OR11-01-23) A Matrix Approach to the Dual Impact of Food on Human and Planetary Health

Objectives: Food production and consumption face unprecedented scrutiny as their impact on the environment and human health becomes evident. However, with a few exceptions, these impacts have been separately studied, and their joint presentation has been rather complex and limited to certain foods. Moreover, the complexity of the existing visualizations makes their comprehension difficult for non-experts in the field. This work aims to provide a simple visual presentation that links a comprehensive list of food groups to human and environmental health in an easily accessible two-dimensional format that would reach a broader audience to promote human health and environmental sustainability.

Methods: We use the results of recently published meta-analyses and reviews to quantify foods' environmental and health effects in the frame of 30 food groups. The food groups are classified as having favorable, neutral, and unfavorable health effects (mortality and morbidity outcomes of various chronic diseases) and are related to their environmental impact (carbon footprint) classified as low, medium, and high. A color coded, three-by-three matrix is used to display the interconnection between the health effects and carbon footprint.

Results: Our work on health and environmental classification of different food groups confirms the prevalent knowledge that plant-based foods promote human health and preserve the environment, while meat and some processed foods may be harmful. However, not all plant-based foods confer the same health and environmental benefits. Animal foods also vary in their health and environmental impacts. The presented matrix facilitates a clear and direct comparison across different foods and their tradeoffs.

Conclusions: The two-dimensional, 3x3 matrix showing relative placements of foods in terms of their health and environmental impacts is a direct and effective way of conveying the state of sustainability in our food production and consumption. A broader awareness of the current state can lead to more conscious decisions by all stakeholders, including the non-experts in the field, to improve the quality of human health and that of the planet.

Funding Sources: Funding was provided by the McLean Fund for Nutrition Research, Loma Linda University. They had no role in the study and writing of the manuscript.