Abstract
Iran's population is predicted to reach 103 million by 2050. Food for this population and environmental protection are challenging, because Iran's land and water resources have crossed safety boundaries. This study analyzes the impact of current diets and proposed diets on water consumption, land use, and inputs, such as nutrients, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed diets were compared to the current diet and the Ministry of Health's recommended diets. The proposed diets were designed to reduce animal product consumption and place more demand for plant products. A plant-based diet was developed and compared with other diets, and all the proposed diets were designed in accordance with WHO recommendations. In comparison with the current diet, the Ministry of Health's optimal diet requires 10 % more primary resources, increases greenhouse gas emissions by 10 %, and increases the cost of purchasing items from retailers by 13 %. Moreover, plant-based diets require about 30 % of blue water resources based on our designed plan. The required agricultural production for this plan requires 8–12 % less fertilizer and 15 % less energy, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10–14 %. These diets also cost 20–24 % less; however, adopting and implementing sustainable plant-based diets requires better education. It is recommended that reevaluation of the Ministry of Health's current optimal diet is essential. The results of the current study, which introduces plant-based modified diets, may be able to provide alternative diet recommendations for Iranians.
Published Version
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