Animal-sourced foods in low- and middle-income countries: Pathways to Nutrition and Sustainability

Animal-sourced foods (fish, eggs, poultry, pork, lamb, beef, etc.) are often unaffordable and hardly consumed among resource poor populations in low- and middle-income countries. While they could play a key role in reducing the prevalence of undernutrition. At the same time, a shift toward plant-based diets is considered necessary for high-income countries and settings, because of the adverse climate impact of animal-sourced foods. This protein transition is not always suitable for LMICs, highlighting a key dilemma between climate action and nutrition. The question how to deal with this dilemma is addressed in a new position paper of the Netherlands Working Group on international Nutrition and Clim-Eat. 

The paper recommends moderate consumption of animal-sourced foods in low- and middle-income countries as part of equitable and sustainable healthy diets, as defined in the country-specific food-based dietary guidelines.

A selection of the key messages:

• Strong evidence indicates that food production is among the largest drivers of global environmental change by contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss.

• Animal food production systems particularly need to become more sustainable to reduce adverse impacts on the climate and biodiversity.

• Animal sourced foods can play a role in reducing the risk of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable groups in LMICs as long as access and affordability issues are addressed.

• Country-specific food-based dietary guidelines with integrated sustainability and food system considerations provide the necessary guidance for the shift toward more sustainable and healthier diets.

The position paper aims to encourage the government and other stakeholders towards a thorough consideration of all sustainability aspects in their support to food systems in LMICs. The Netherlands can contribute to making animal food production systems more sustainable, especially in LMICs, and could take up a leading role globally by (further) promoting the inclusion of nutrition in NDCs.