What can we do about the impact of ultra-processed diets on climate, nature and health?
The over-consumption of ultra-processed foods is having a detrimental effect on our health, on the climate and on biodiversity.
On average in the UK, ultra-processed food makes up over 50% of our shopping baskets. Our 'Ultra-Processed Planet' report makes the case for shifting our diets away from ultra-processed foods and makes several recommendations. We would like the UK and devolved national governments to:
- Harness the Food Systems Summit to enhance food system regulation and governance
- Adopt a percentage reduction target for ultra-processed foods in the diet
- Introduce dietary guidelines addressing ultra-processed foods
- Introduce labelling to indicate when products are ultra-processed
- Reconnect children with where their food comes from, and implement practical food education
- Support a transition to agroecology and organic farming
Read in more detail the issues associated with ultra-processed foods in our 'Ultra-Processed Planet' report, including more detail on the recommendations for Government.
On Tuesday 28th September the Soil Association hosted a panel of experts in an online webinar discussing the recent UN Food Systems Summit, the urgency of action on ultra-processed foods and the threat of 'corporate capture'. We will post a recording of the webinar here as soon as it is ready.
What are ultra-processed foods?
Most foods are processed before we eat them. They may be chopped, cooked, fermented, frozen, or tinned, for example. What characterises ultra-processed foods is the degree to which they have been altered. They have been described by food writer Bee Wilson as “concoctions of concoctions, engineered from ingredients that are already highly refined, such as cheap vegetable oils, flours, whey proteins and sugars, which are then whipped up into something more appetising with the help of industrial additives such as emulsifiers.”
Foods that fall into the 'ultra-processed' category typically contain little or no whole foods, are ready-to-consume or heat, and are made using industrial additives and processes. They often bear little resemblance to the real foods found in nature. They are often high in fat, salt and added sugar, and depleted in dietary fibre. Our report goes into more detail about how ultra-processed foods can be identified.
How do ultra-processed foods affect human health?
A robust body of science suggests that diets rich in ultra-processed foods are bad for our health. These diets have been associated with overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, depression, and all-cause mortality. The evidence suggests that we should be eating fewer ultra-processed products, and much more in the way of fresh and natural foods.
Read more about the impact of ultra-processed diets on human health in our 'Ultra-Processed Planet' report.
What foods should we be eating for a healthy and sustainable diet?
Evidence tells us that the healthiest diets are typically those based around a diverse mixture of ‘whole foods’ – foods of plant and animal origin consumed largely as they are found in nature. Whole foods are often ‘nutrient dense’ – packed with the good stuff. When eaten in the right balance, along with wholesome processed foods (many processed foods can be good for our health – it's ultra-processing that is the problem), these foods benefit our health, and when they are produced in agroecological or organic farming systems, they also benefit planetary health.
How do ultra-processed foods affect climate change and biodiversity loss?
There is a symbiotic relationship between industrial food and industrial farming. As agriculture has intensified over recent decades, a glut of cheap commodity ingredients has been made available for processing. Among the commodity ingredients commonly used in the manufacture of ultra-processed foods are palm, soya, wheat, maize, milk, eggs, and meat. The intensive production of these crops has placed a growing burden on natural environments, positioning farming at the heart of the climate and nature crises.
The transformation of wild habitats and biodiverse farmland into industrial monocrops has been facilitated by fossil fuel-based fertilisers, chemical inputs, and multi-national trade and marketing, which have radically changed the way we eat around the world. Local food cultures and local varieties of food have fallen out of favour, while consumption of ultra-processed products has skyrocketed. Of the tens of thousands of plants and breeds cultivated since the birth of agriculture, a mere twelve plants and five animals now account for 75 per cent of the world’s food.
A healthy food system would nourish the population while regenerating our planet’s riches, protecting animal welfare, and building social and natural capital. That is not the system that currently feeds us, and the impacts are escalating. If global dietary trends continue, per capita greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the consumption of ‘empty calories’ within ultra-processed products are set to double by 2050. Read more in our 'Ultra-Processed Planet' report.
How can we produce food in a positive way for climate change and biodiversity?
Agroecological farming offers a healthier, more equitable and more sustainable way of producing and consuming food.
Agroecology stands opposed to many features of our industrialised food system, including the intensive production of commodity crops for ultra-processing. It champions diversity and prioritises fresh foods supplied through local supply chains. It also offers an alternative political model for the food system, emphasising ‘food citizenship’ and a more democratic balance of power, promoting policies that ensure a ‘fair deal’ for producers and citizens. Agroecology is ultimately concerned with putting the damaging feedback loops of our ultra-processed planet into reverse, generating positive feedback loops that promote both human and planetary wellbeing. Find out more about agroecology here.
How can we fix our ultra-processed planet?
Action is needed across the food system, and the onus of responsibility ultimately falls on the government. Our new report, 'Ultra-Processed Planet', makes the case for shifting our diets towards more whole foods and sustainable farming systems, and makes several recommendations. We would like UK and devolved national governments to:
- Harness the Food Systems Summit to enhance food system regulation and governance
- Adopt a percentage reduction target for ultra-processed foods in the diet
- Introduce dietary guidelines addressing ultra-processed foods
- Introduce labelling to indicate when products are ultra-processed
- Reconnect children with where their food comes from, and implement practical food education
- Support a transition to agroecology and organic farming
The Soil Association's 'Ultra-Processed Planet' report can be read here.
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Ultra-Processed Foods - the case for rebalancing the UK diet
Published in 2020, this briefing outlines the latest evidence on ultra-processed foods, including their consumption in the UK
Read our previous briefing on ultra-processed food
