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Xavier Irz
Research: Price and income are no barrier to adopting environmentally friendly and nutritionally adequate diets
With a moderately small change in diet, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food consumption by up to a third while we also eat healthier and reduce food expenditure. The biggest obstacles to adopting a more sustainable diet in Finland are cultural, not economic. More attention should therefore be paid to the taste, convenience, habits and social significance associated with diets.
The Just Food project investigated the characteristics of a climate-friendly and nutritionally adequate diet in Finland. The results have recently been published in two peer-reviewed articles1,2.
“The good news is that diets that are nutritious and reduce climate pollution can also be inexpensive. These diets can be put together relatively easily by combining the foods produced by the Finnish food system. These diets largely follow the nutrition and food recommendations, with a strong focus on plant-based foods”, says Luke’s Senior Scientist Merja Saarinen.
Reducing the climate impact by a third can be achieved through flexible and healthy eating habits, which also include the consumption of products of animal origin, such as dairy products.
“The study shows that the climate impacts of diets could even be halved while still ensuring their nutritional quality and economic accessibility”, says Saarinen.
Cultural acceptability plays a key role
The study found that disposable income and food prices are not the reasons why many people do not adopt nutritionally adequate diets that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The cultural acceptability of food is of greater importance, which should be given more attention.
Cultural acceptability is associated with customs, traditions, culinary flavours, convenience, habits, and social norms, among other things. In addition to sustenance, food is also a way of expressing oneself, a statement, and, for many, even an extension of their identity.
“Some consumers may experience transitioning to a more plant-based and environmentally friendly diet as a big sacrifice, even if adopting it would bring them both health and financial benefits. Thus, cultural acceptability is of paramount importance in understanding the barriers to adopting sustainable diets”, says Professor Xavier Irz from the University of Helsinki.
Making dietary changes requires knowledge
In addition to food-related values and perceptions, some groups may find dietary changes difficult due to their level of knowledge and skills.
“Dietary changes must be supported, especially in those population groups where eating habits are furthest away from being sustainable and climate-friendly. Increasing consumers’ knowledge of food, exploring ingredient options, returning old, traditional plant-based foods to use, getting used to new innovative foods, and increasing food knowledge play an important role in adopting more sustainable diets”, says Jyrki Niemi, Research Professor at Luke.
“In addition, we need more collaboration between nutrition experts and social scientists, economists and environmental scientists at the research and policy level to design and implement effective measures to achieve sustainable dietary changes.”
The studies were carried out under the leadership of the Natural Resources Institute Finland in cooperation with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the Finnish Environment Institute. The study is part of the Just Food project funded by the Academy of Finland’s Strategic Research Council, which examines how the transition to a climate-smart and healthy food system can be sustainable, acceptable and just.
The results of the study have been published in Public Health Nutrition and Current Developments in Nutrition.
1 Irz, X., Tapanainen, H., Saarinen, M., Salminen, J., Sares-Jäske, L., & Valsta, L. M. (2024). Reducing the carbon footprint of diets across socio-demographic groups in Finland: a mathematical optimisation study. Public Health Nutrition, 27(1), e98.
2 Irz, X., Sares-Jäske, L., Tapanainen, H., Niemi, J., Paalanen, L., Saarinen, M., & Valsta, L. M. (2024). Assessing the Cost of Nutritionally Adequate and Low-Climate Impact Diets in Finland. Current Developments in Nutrition, 102151.
What does cultural acceptability mean in the context of diets?
- Cultural acceptability refers to the compatibility of certain diets or foods with the values, habits, taste preferences, and traditions of a particular culture, society, or group. When we talk about the cultural acceptability of diets, we mean that it is compatible with people’s everyday eating habits, festive traditions and other social practices.
- An example of cultural acceptability issues could be framed around a traditional part of Finnish cuisine: sausage. In Finland, sausages are especially popular during the barbecue season and are used in many traditional dishes. If we propose replacing sausages with plant-based alternatives for sustainability and health reasons, this change may be met with resistance. While plant-based products can bring environmental benefits, such as lower greenhouse gas emissions, and are healthier alternatives, they do not necessarily satisfy the same taste preferences or match the traditional grilling methods and flavour profiles that many Finns appreciate.
- This example illustrates how the success of dietary changes depends not only on their nutritional and environmental acceptability but also on how well they resonate with cultural habits and preferences.
