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Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets

Author

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  • Bingli Clark Chai

    (Design & Consumer Behaviour Section, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark)

  • Johannes Reidar van der Voort

    (Design & Consumer Behaviour Section, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark)

  • Kristina Grofelnik

    (Design & Consumer Behaviour Section, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark)

  • Helga Gudny Eliasdottir

    (Design & Consumer Behaviour Section, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark)

  • Ines Klöss

    (Design & Consumer Behaviour Section, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark)

  • Federico J. A. Perez-Cueto

    (Design & Consumer Behaviour Section, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark)

Abstract

The food that we consume has a large impact on our environment. The impact varies significantly between different diets. The aim of this systematic review is to address the question: Which diet has the least environmental impact on our planet? A comparison of a vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets. This systematic review is based on 16 studies and 18 reviews. The included studies were selected by focusing directly on environmental impacts of human diets. Four electronic bibliographic databases, PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science were used to conduct a systematic literature search based on fixed inclusion and exclusion criteria. The durations of the studies ranged from 7 days to 27 years. Most were carried out in the US or Europe. Results from our review suggest that the vegan diet is the optimal diet for the environment because, out of all the compared diets, its production results in the lowest level of GHG emissions. Additionally, the reviewed studies indicate the possibility of achieving the same environmental impact as that of the vegan diet, without excluding the meat and dairy food groups, but rather, by reducing them substantially.

Suggested Citation

  • Bingli Clark Chai & Johannes Reidar van der Voort & Kristina Grofelnik & Helga Gudny Eliasdottir & Ines Klöss & Federico J. A. Perez-Cueto, 2019. "Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:15:p:4110-:d:252927
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    10. Valentin Beck & Bernd Ladwig, 2021. "Ethical consumerism: Veganism," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.
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    12. Janet Music & Sylvain Charlebois & Louise Spiteri & Shannon Farrell & Alysha Griffin, 2021. "Increases in Household Food Waste in Canada as a Result of COVID-19: An Exploratory Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-11, November.
    13. Tomasz Daszkiewicz, 2022. "Food Production in the Context of Global Developmental Challenges," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-11, June.
    14. Shila Minari Hargreaves & António Raposo & Ariana Saraiva & Renata Puppin Zandonadi, 2021. "Vegetarian Diet: An Overview through the Perspective of Quality of Life Domains," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-23, April.
    15. Buratto, Arianna & Lotti, Lorenzo, 2024. "Encouraging sustainable food consumption through nudges: An experiment with menu labels," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    16. Sabin Shrestha & Janaki Mahat, 2022. "Sustainable Food Security: How To Feed An Increasing Population? A Review," INWASCON Technology Magazine(i-TECH MAG), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 4, pages 15-18, April.
    17. Alice Wistar & Marissa G. Hall & Maxime Bercholz & Lindsey Smith Taillie, 2022. "Designing Environmental Messages to Discourage Red Meat Consumption: An Online Experiment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-14, March.
    18. Aroub Alnasser & Nsreen Musallat, 2022. "Food Sustainability Knowledge among Saudis: Towards the Goals of Saudi Vision 2030," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    19. I. D. Brouwer & M. J. Liere & A. Brauw & P. Dominguez-Salas & A. Herforth & G. Kennedy & C. Lachat & E. B. Omosa & E. F. Talsma & S. Vandevijvere & J. Fanzo & M. Ruel, 2021. "Reverse thinking: taking a healthy diet perspective towards food systems transformations," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1497-1523, December.

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