Addressing our global sugar addiction could have impacts far beyond health — according to researchers, it could also benefit the planet.
A recent study evaluated the environmental impacts of sugar and looked at ways that people could reduce their consumption and how that sweet stuff could be redirected in ways that would benefit the environment.
In an article in The Conversation, the study's authors pointed out that sugar intake has quadrupled over the last 60 years and that sugar contributes to obesity and massive health costs. Plus, the sugar industry contributes to a range of environmental issues, including habitat and biodiversity loss and water pollution, they added.
"By phasing out sugar, we could spare land that could be rewilded and stock up on carbon," the researchers stated. "This is especially important in biodiverse tropical regions where sugar production is concentrated, such as Brazil and India."
Redirected sugar can also be used to produce bioplastics or biofuels, but "our study shows that the biggest opportunity is using sugar to feed microbes that make protein," they said. This could produce "enough plant-based, protein-rich food products to regularly feed 521 million people."
If this protein replaced chicken, it could reduce planet-warming pollution by almost 250 million tons, the authors asserted, adding that the benefits would be even greater if beef were replaced.
Animal agriculture accounts for around 15% of all planet-warming pollution. Plus, the clearing of land for livestock contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water pollution, per the University of Colorado Boulder.
However, there is a movement within the industry to reduce these environmental harms. For instance, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are helping farmers optimize feed formulas to help mitigate the warming effect of raising cattle.
The authors of the sugar study admitted that cutting this staple out of our diets would require a vast amount of effort and coordination among countries.
🗣️ What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste?
🔘 Not buying food I don't need 🧐
🔘 Freezing my food before it goes bad 🧊
🔘 Using my leftovers more effectively 🍲
🔘 Composting my food scraps 🌱
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"We can't hope to transition the way we produce and eat sugar overnight," they said, according to The Conversation. "But by exploring other uses of sugar, we can highlight what environmental benefits we are missing out on and help policymakers map a resource-efficient path forward for the industry while improving public health."
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