There vegetarian diet is that vegan generate a smaller impact on the environment than Mediterranean diet? I am more sustainable on an economic level, given the exclusion of meat and fish? A survey conducted by Altroconsumo on the sustainability of three different diets: Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan, attempted to provide an answer.
The Altroconsumo investigation
The food supply chain, in fact, is responsible for 30% of emissions greenhouse gases, approximately 60% caused by animal products, as reported in the United Nations report of December 2023. But the environment is not the only result of our actions, because our health can also depend on nutrition: eating seasonal and healthy foods can help prevent some diseases instead treat them, with a consequent lower impact on public health. To establish which of the three diets (Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan) was less expensive and with less environmental impact, Altroconsumo involved a nutritionist, in order to draw up three different nutritionally balanced diets for an average individual with a daily caloric intake of 2 thousand kcal.
Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan: the comparison
Based on the foods and quantities provided for each diet, the cost and environmental impact of the diets were calculated and then compared. According to the analyzes conducted, therefore, an adult person who follows the Mediterranean diet every week it produces 15 kg of CO₂ equivalent, and consumes 19 m2 of soil and 1,880 liters of water. There vegan diet, however, is the one that has the least overall environmental impact. In fact, it weighs 32% less than the Mediterranean one and 18% less than the vegetarian one. This is because it does not include foods of animal origin and is based on the consumption of cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruit (fresh and dried), vegetable oils and drinks and seeds. In fact, an adult who follows a vegan diet produces 8 kg of CO₂ equivalent every week, consumes 15 m2 of soil and 1,810 liters of water. Compared to the vegan one, the vegetarian diet, which also includes eggs and dairy products, however consumes more water, even compared to the Mediterranean diet, due to the presence of cheese. In fact, an adult who follows a vegetarian diet produces 11 kg of CO₂ equivalent, 17 m2 of soil and 1,980 liters of water every week.
Costs
The cheapest diet is therefore vegetarian. In fact, the weekly cost of vegetarian shopping is around 53 euros. Less than what those who follow the Mediterranean spend, who have to budget around 63 euros per week, which corresponds to 17% more, where 29% of the total is the budget for fish, meat and eggs and 12% for dairy products, while fruit and vegetables weigh 16% and 18% respectively. For vegans, the cost of weekly shopping is similar to that of vegetarians, 54 euros, while the Mediterranean one costs 15.5% more. Vegans spend more on plant-based alternatives to proteins, products which account for 16% of weekly spending, as well as fruit and vegetables which represent 45% of spending. Summing up, to have a positive return both in terms of sustainability, health and savings, instead of suddenly changing food choices, one can decide to reduce the consumption of meat and fish which are, by far, the foods with the greatest impact on the environment.
