Yogurt a sustainable food - Adam Drewnowski - ICD2016 - Granada
The 17th International Congress of Dietetics was taking place in the city of Granada (Spain) and hosted more than 3000 dietitians and nutritionists from all over the world. The theme of ICD 2016 was « going to sustainable eating ». In this framework, YINI organized a workshop entitled "Are we underestimating the health effects of yogurt?” Prof Adam Drewnowski (USA) unveiled how yogurt can be considered as a sustainable choice. This is a record of his presentation.
The definition of sustainable nutrition security comprises four major domains: health, economics, society and the environment. Sustainable foods and – by extension – sustainable diets need to be nutritionally adequate, healthy and safe, economically affordable, culturally acceptable, and sparing of biodiversity and ecosystems, including environmental resources: land, water and air. It is most important to note that nutritional value is an integral component of sustainability. Low carbon footprint is of little use when the food has minimal nutritional value. Sustainable foods need to be affordable, acceptable and nutrient rich. Dairy products, including yogurt, provide significantly more nutrients than calories.
Nutrient profiling models aim to separate foods that are energy dense from foods that are nutrient rich. As a source of bone building lacto-nutrients, notably calcium, low energy density yogurt qualifies as a nutrient-rich food. Highest nutrient density scores are awarded to those yogurts that are unsweetened and lower in saturated fat. New
metrics of affordable nutrition have confirmed that dairy products, including yogurts, are the lowest-cost source of dietary calcium and a very affordable source of high quality protein. Yogurt and other dairy products are well integrated into the global food patterns and are a key component of global diet. The supporting evidence on nutrient
density and cost of dairy products, initially based on data from the US and France, has been expanded to include countries such as Mexico and Turkey. In Turkey, yogurt is among snacks recommended to be consumed daily by children in schools.
The land, water and energy use by dairy farmers is a separate area of research. On one hand, animal products including meat and dairy have a higher carbon footprint per calorie than do grains, oils, and sweets. On the other hand, their nutrient density per calorie is higher as well. The question arises at what point is the higher carbon footprint of animal foods offset by their higher nutritional value? Based on multiple studies, the plant food with the lowest land, water and carbon footprint appears to be sugar. This is why the definition of sustainable foods has to include nutritional value and impact on population health. Several studies have linked yogurt to improved long
term health outcomes.