Region-specific nutritious, environmentally friendly, and affordable diets in India

Abstract

In recent times, there has been an increased international interest in India's food systems. There is a concern that, with rising population and incomes, India's adoption of unsustainable dietary patterns could have disastrous consequences not only for public health but also for the environment, locally and globally. This in turn can seriously threaten the progress toward achievement of the United Nations global Sustainable Development Goals. Identifying and informing stakeholders of sustainable dietary behaviors is thus essential. Here, using a non-linear optimization algorithm, we identify a sustainable diet for each of India's 35 states. These diets meet daily recommendations for 29 nutrients, exist within five environmental planetary boundaries, including greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, cropland use, nitrogen, and phosphorus application, and satisfy several cultural acceptability constraints. Results reveal that, while such a sustainable diet is possible, it will cost 50% more than current diets in most Indian states. Our results offer optimistic news that India's nutrition problem can be solved without jeopardizing the environment. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.