Environmental Impact of Diets in 10 European countries

BACKGROUND: A growing consensus suggests that dietary changes have the potential to lessen the environmental impacts of food production. We performed a cross-country comparison of dietary patterns and their associated environmental impact in Europe, including by socio-demographic factors. METHODS: We analyzed pooled cross-sectional 24/48/72-hour dietary records collected during 2010-2018 from 10 European countries using the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Comprehensive European Food Database (16,508 adults; age 18-79 years). Each food consumed was mapped to the corresponding environmental impact data using the SHARP Indicators Database, which provides greenhouse gas emission (GHGE kgCO2-eq/day) and land use (LU m(2)*year/day) values for approximately 900 foods. Multivariable linear regression models were used to compare diet-associated GHGE and LU between population subgroups (gender, age, education, and diet type) with country-level fixed effects. We also analyzed the contributions of major food groups to the mean daily total of GHGE and LU for each country. RESULTS: The mean dietary GHGE and LU per capita ranged from 4.0 kgCO2eq and 5.0 m(2)*year in Spain to 6.5 kgCO2eq and 8.2 m(2)*year in France. Diet-related GHGE and LU (per Kg/food) were lower amongst females (2.6kgCO2eq, B=−0.08, P < 0.01; 3.2m(2)*year, B=−0.11, P < 0.01), people aged 66-79 (2.6kgCO2eq, B=−0.03, P < 0.01; 3.4m(2)*year, B=−0.4, P < 0.01), people following vegetarian diets (1.7kgCO2eq, B=−0.07, P < 0.01; 2.0m(2)*year, B=−0.07, P < 0.01), and higher amongst individuals with secondary education (2.7kgCO2eq, B = 0.04, P < 0.01; 3.6m(2)*year, B = 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of specific food groups on environmental footprints varies across countries and between different socio-demographic groups, signaling that cultural, literacy and generational factors possibly contribute to determine consumers’ environmental footprints. KEY MESSAGES: • The environmental impact varies across nations and socio-economic groups, highlighting the significant role played by cultural and generational factors in shaping consumers’ environmental footprints. • The study findings are crucial for the development of country-specific food policies aimed at promoting environmentally friendly diets.