Biodiversity is overlooked in the diets of different social groups in Brazil.

Food biodiversity is essential for improving nutrition and reducing hunger in populations worldwide. However, in middle and low-income countries, the biodiversity of food production does not necessarily represent food consumption patterns by population. We used Brazil, one of the world's megabiodiverse countries, as a case study to investigate the following questions: what is the prevalence of consumption of biodiverse foods in Brazil, and what are the socioeconomic factors that influence their consumption throughout the country? We used data from a Brazilian representative national dietary survey to estimate the frequency of food consumption of unconventional food plants, edible mushrooms, and wild meat, in according to socioeconomic variables. Thus, we investigated the socioeconomic predictors of Unconventional Food Plants consumption using methods of Machine Learning (ML) and multiple zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression. We showed that biodiverse food consumption in Brazil is low, just related by 1.3% of the population, varying in according to area, ethnicity, age, food insecurity, sex, and educational level. Our findings of low utilization of biodiversity suggest an important mismatch between the rich biodiversity of the country and its representation in the human diet.

The cost of eating more sustainable diets: A nutritional and environmental diet optimisation study.

We aim to identify the dietary changes to improve nutrition and reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) simultaneously in Brazil, taking into account the heterogeneity in food habits and prices across the country. Food consumption and prices were obtained from two nationwide surveys (n = 55,970 households and 34,003 individuals). Linear programming models were performed to design optimised diets most resembling the observed diets, and meeting different sets of constraints: (i) nutritional, for preventing chronic diseases and meeting nutrient adequacy; (ii) socio-cultural: by respecting food preferences; and (iii) environmental: by reducing GHGE by steps of 10%. Moving toward a diet that meets nutritional recommendations led to a 14% to 24% cost increase and 10% to 27% GHGE reduction, depending on the stringency of the acceptability constraints. Stronger GHGE reductions were achievable (up to about 70%), with greater departure from the current diet, but not achieving calcium and potassium goals. Diet cost increment tended to be mitigated with GHGE reduction in most models, along with reductions in red meat, chicken, eggs, rice, and high-fat sugar sodium foods.

Excessive meat consumption in Brazil: diet quality and environmental impacts.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate red and processed meat intake, and the impact meat consumption has on diet quality and the environment. DESIGN: A large cross-sectional health survey performed in São Paulo, Brazil. SETTING: Diet was assessed by two 24 h dietary recalls. Usual intakes were calculated using the Multiple Source Method. The World Cancer Research Fund recommendation of an average of 71.4 g/d was used as the cut-off point to estimate excessive red and processed meat consumption. To investigate the relationship between meat consumption and diet quality we used the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised. The environmental impact was analysed according to estimates of CO2 equivalent emissions from meat consumption. SUBJECTS: Brazilians (n 1677) aged 19 years and older were studied. RESULTS: The mean red and processed meat intake was 138 g/d for men and 81 g/d for women. About 81% of men and 58% of women consumed more meat than recommended. Diet quality was inversely associated with excessive meat intake in men. In Brazil alone, greenhouse gas emissions from meat consumption, in 2003, were estimated at approximately 18,071,988 tonnes of CO2 equivalents, representing about 4% of the total CO2 emitted by agriculture. CONCLUSIONS: The excessive meat intake, associated with poorer diet quality observed, support initiatives and policies advising to reduce red and processed meat intake to within the recommended amounts, as part of a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet.