Plant-rich diets could deliver some seriously big benefits for the planet. A new study finds that widespread adoption of a mostly plant-based diet, as part of a broader transformation of the global food system, could help slash food-related emissions while freeing up an enormous amount of agricultural land.

Researchers modeled 10 possible futures for the global food system through 2050. In the most ambitious scenario, widespread adoption of the mostly plant-based Planetary Health Diet, combined with changes including cutting food waste in half, could reduce emissions by 76 percent compared with business-as-usual projections. Agricultural land use could also fall by six percent, potentially freeing up an area roughly the size of India.

The shift would mean growing more legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods while lowering livestock production. Researchers acknowledge that a change of that size would have major economic consequences for agriculture and couldn’t happen through individual food choices alone, requiring support for farmers and coordinated action from governments and the food industry.

There’s no single food swap that’s going to solve climate change. But the research suggests putting more plants on plates around the world could be a pretty powerful ingredient in the solution.
Source: Plant Based News