How to have a healthy low impact diet

A new challenge is emerging from the murky world of policy debate: how best to create a 'healthy, low impact diet' for tomorrow's low carbon economy.

At its worst, such thinking will elevate some of the sterile discussions about 'good' and 'bad' foods to a new level of hostility. At its best, it can help us to start developing a truly sustainable food production system in the UK. Either way, we can't afford to ignore this. It is not just policy wonks talking about concepts work is underway on real initiatives that will impact readers of this magazine.

There are those who argue that the solution is simple: consumers must cut down on meat and dairy and reduce their intake of processed foods. Thankfully, I believe government officials are aware this is a recipe for disaster. They are cognisant of the complexities and sensitivities of the debates now raging appreciate that a diet that is 'healthy' will not always be 'low impact' and understand that every choice will involve hard trade-offs for government, for the food chain and for consumers.

Firms in our sector must play their part by helping consumers make healthier food choices, while supporting efforts to reduce the food chain's carbon footprint, to cut unnecessary waste and to promote increased efficiency of resource use.

I predict that the debate about 'healthy, low impact diets' will be one of the key food policy themes of the year. So we should expect plenty more daft headlines in newspapers and soundbites in politicians' speeches.

But in responding, we must not lose sight of one important fact: while we look at ways of encouraging consumers to eat more healthily, while minimising their impact on the planet, we still must maintain enjoyment in the social side of food and drink. Even the low-carbon future that we are ultimately aiming for should not be completely drab and grey.

Julian Hunt is director of communications at the Food and Drink Federation​