New Delhi: India has reportedly the highest vegetarian population in the world. The country is known for its vegetarian diets which has an extensive history and is deeply entwined with our culture. According to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, India’s sustainable eating habits can address the heightened ecological concerns, especially at a time when the threat of climate change is only increasing.
What does sustainable eating mean?
Sustainable eating includes practices like prioritizing diets which are plant-based, reducing wastage of food and consuming locally sourced foods. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Living Planet Report, India’s dietary habits were hailed as a global blueprint for sustainable living. Among the G20 nations, the pattern of India’s food consumption is the most climate-friendly as per the report. It also said that if all countries adopt India’s current food consumption pattern, the world would need 0.84 per cent of Earth to support food production by 2050.
According to Shravani Mali, GlobalData’s Consumer Analyst, the vegan movement has increased in India in recent years, especially in metropolitan cities. The food consumption practices of the country focus on plant-based diets and crops which are climate-resilient like millet. These crops generate lower emissions compared to diets which are meat-based.
Mali further stated that the traditional diets in India focus on seasonal and local produce. With environmental issues gaining more traction, India’s plant-based diet is becoming more popular. As awareness about the environment increases, Mali hopes that consumers will look to adopt traditional dietary practices with a focus on plant-based foods to reduce environmental burdens.
According to Deepak Nautiyal, Consumer and Retail Commercial Director, APAC and Middle East at GlobalData, the Indian government has implemented a host of initiatives for sustainable practices beneficial for the environment. He cites schemes like the National Millet Campaign and the International Year of Millets (2023) as examples. Also, there is the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) whose objective is to improve farming that is climate resistant.
