A person’s dietary choices may seem personal, but their consequences ripple far beyond the kitchen. A recent study published in Nature Food has shed new light on just how dramatically different diets affect the environment. The research, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, analysed the eating habits of over 55,000 people in the UK and revealed that vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters, and meat-eaters have vastly different environmental footprints.

The researchers linked actual food intake data from a large UK cohort with environmental data drawn from over 570 life-cycle assessments, covering food production on nearly 38,000 farms across 119 countries. This approach allowed them to evaluate five key environmental indicators: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land use, water use, eutrophication (pollution from nutrients), and biodiversity loss. The results are striking individual diets differ widely in their impact on the planet.

Compared to high meat-eaters, vegans were responsible for only about 25% of the greenhouse gas emissions and used 75% less land for food production. Vegetarians and fish-eaters also showed significantly lower impacts across all categories. Even low meat-eaters had a 30% reduction in emissions compared to heavy meat consumers. These reductions remained robust even when accounting for variations in farming practices and food sourcing, highlighting that what you eat matters more than how it’s farmed.

The study is especially important for policymakers and environmental strategists. With the UK aiming to slash emissions from the food sector by 35% by 2030, the findings suggest that dietary change is not just beneficial—it’s essential. Encouraging even partial shifts away from meat consumption could bring substantial environmental benefits without requiring everyone to become vegan.

For everyday readers, the message is both clear and empowering. Every meal is an opportunity to reduce your environmental footprint. You don’t need to be perfect just eating less meat, especially red and processed meats, and replacing them with plant-based alternatives can make a measurable difference. Initiatives like “Meat-Free Mondays” or being a “weekday vegetarian” are simple, impactful steps.

This study also dispels a common myth that sustainable eating is only about buying organic or local. While those choices matter, the type of food you consume has a much larger effect than how far it traveled or how it was grown. In other words, eating a locally-sourced steak still has a higher environmental cost than imported lentils or tofu.

Ultimately, our forks are powerful tools for change. Whether motivated by climate action, health, or ethics, choosing more plant-based foods can help combat climate change, protect natural habitats, and preserve clean water. As lead author Dr. Peter Scarborough puts it, “Changing what we eat could be the simplest and most impactful way for individuals to combat environmental degradation.”

Paper is published in nature food Journal “Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts”. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-023-00795-w