Adopt planetary health diet to save humans, environment — RDI

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) in conjunction with Foodjustice has advocated for the adoption of planetary health diet as a panacea to increasing cases of non-communicable diseases, malnutrition and the negative impacts of existing food systems on biodiversity.

The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) links a person’s diet to the health of the planet. It focuses on foods that are both sustainable and good for our health. Planetary health diet is plant-forward diet where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed.

Meat and dairy constitute important parts of the diet but in significantly smaller proportions than whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.

At an introductory training on the concept of planetary health diet, officials of Lagos State Government from the ministries of Agriculture, Health and the Environment, Federal Ministry of Environment and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) were in attendance, Philip Jakpor, Executive Director of RDI, said: “We must note that as the discourse and clamour for adoption of this dietary pattern continues to grow globally, Africa is largely missing in the scheme of things even as the continent grapples with the devastating impacts of malnutrition and the health challenges associated with consumption of unwholesome diet.

“As you all may already know, Non communicable diseases (NCDs) are a significant cause of deaths in Africa. In Nigeria, NCDs account for about 30 percent of annual deaths and studies have shown that they are responsible for more illnesses and deaths than infectious diseases.

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“In 2020, NCDs were responsible for 617,300 deaths in Nigeria, with 22 percent of these being premature deaths of persons between ages 30 to 70. Our people including the young are dying from cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. These are illnesses that were unheard of on the continent before now but they now account for the huge death burden across the continent due to urbanization, lifestyle changes, and socioeconomic issues.

“But we must not only reel out disturbing statistics. The task of addressing these challenges must start with proper understanding of the issues, backed with the readiness to embrace proven solutions that are science-based.”

During the training, resource persons from within and outside Nigeria shared case studies and how foreign countries such as Mexico have been able to mainstream planetary health diet into their agriculture and education systems.

In 2019, EAT-Lancet commissioned a consortium of experts from 16 countries who released landmark report introducing the concept of PLANETARY HEALTH DIET, also known as the EAT-LANCET DIET.

It emphasized the critical role that diets play in both human health and environmental sustainability, advocating for a unified global approach to transferring food system. It aimed to optimise human health while considering environmental impact.