Editor’s Note: “Under the enormous environmental pressure, how much time do we have to change? So far, the issue of ‘reducing dependence on animal protein” has received considerable attention in China’s sustainable dialogue and public discourse, which is seriously inadequate compared with the importance of the issue itself. From September 4th to 6th, Mr. Jian Yi, Director of the Good Food Fund of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) was invited to attend The Fortune Global Sustainability Forum 2019, and delivered a speech at the parallel forum of “The Future of Green Food”, which aroused people’s thinking about animal protein and sustainable food system.
On August 16th, Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT-Lancet Commission Special Report was published jointly by EAT, a public welfare organization, and Lancet, the world’s top medical journal.
In 2016, "Chinese Dietary Guidelines" was issued, and these dietary guidance suggestions were given on the nutritional and health status and basic needs of Chinese citizens. At present, the amount of meat consumption of citizens in China is more than twice of the guidelines: according to the recommendations, the amount of meat consumption per person should be 27 kilograms per year, but the actual consumption amount is 63 kilograms.
The excellent speech of Director Jian Yi is reproduced and translated for the readers below:
Original Topic of Jian Yi’s Speech:
Jian Yi: If We Don’t Examine Ourselves Properly, No Amount of “New Solutions” Will Help
The Fortune Global Sustainability Forum 2019 was held in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, from September 4th to 6th. At today’s (Sept 5th) morning forum on “The Future of Green Food”, entrepreneurs and scholars from all over the world shared on the topics of food future and sustainable development.
【Questions for thinking】:
At the beginning of the speech, Jian Yi, Director of the Good Food Fund of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), firstly asked the audience several questions ——
1. Have you ever seen a forum on food-related topics in the conference on pan-sustainable development?
2. Did you hear about reducing animal protein consumption in the forum on food?
3. In the conference on sustainable development (not on meat/vegetarian themes), have you ever heard Chinese speakers take the initiative to talk about reducing animal protein?
4. Have you participated in a meeting on the theme of sustainability, where the meals provided are sustainable (mainly plant-based diet, little waste of food, etc.)?
Only a few people raised their hands, and one of the last few audiences raised his hand because he attended the Good Food Summit.
Then, Jian Yi introduced the work of the Good Food Fund of the CBCGDF, which is focusing on the sustainable food system. Jian Yi pointed out that in China, the public attention to the importance, urgency, potential, and possibilities of sustainable food issues is still relatively low.
Jian Yi said, “Under the enormous environmental pressure, how much time do we have to change? So far, the issue of ‘reducing dependence on animal protein” has received considerable attention in China’s sustainable dialogue and public discourse, which is seriously inadequate compared with the importance of the issue itself. Many institutions, including some very influential and respected environmental protection agencies, keep silent on this topic. For this reason, we currently put the promotion of reducing animal protein and increasing plant meal ratio as the core of our work.”
【See the Past, See the Future】
"I like to eat Impossible products, and I think Pat makes a lot of sense, that is, we need to find a solution as soon as possible to change the way the meat is produced. Impossible is not a substitute for meat, but a change in the way meat gets produced. Let it be free from animals, which is healthier and more environmentally friendly. The logic behind Impossible is that it's hard to get people to give up flavor, Therefore, providing the same flavor but healthier, more environmentally friendly vegetable-meat is the best way to promote it.
However, I don't think it is enough to just do this. We need to promote it in a multi-issue way, including changing our perception of food, especially meat. Because that in many cases, Chinese people choose meat not only because of the delicious taste (although this is very important) but also because they want to choose animal products since they are more expensive (not necessarily now) and more upscale. What they want is that the product comes from a farm animal, or some deep-sea fish, rather than an imitative vegetable. This is why for a long time; Chinese meat imitation food can not replace Chinese meat. Impossible is also extremely hard to accept by people without changing the cultural perception of food.”
Jian Yi recognizes the healthier and more environmentally friendly products created under the leadership of Pat Brown, who is the founder of Impossible Foods. However, he put forward different views on how to change the status quo from “Technology First”:
"It is very important to change food and the public's cultural awareness of food. Food is not only about taste but also about cultural awareness. Meat has long been considered a more ‘respectable’ dish. So, although I’m a big fan of Impossible product, I don’t think only technology can change it. Since there are already meat imitation products in China, but they have not entered the public mainstream. Therefore, the mainstream cognitive change is very important. To change our understanding of the future, we should also change our understanding of the past.
Our traditional diet in the past is very plant-lead, with a lot of sustainable elements, but our memories and definitions of the past are based on poverty and scarcity. Therefore, we need to redefine the future, and we need to re-examine and redefine the past."
【Hey, can we eat less meat?】
“The commitment and efforts of the Chinese government in sustainable development are obvious to all over the world…” Jian Yi hopes that the government can realize as soon as possible that changing the food system, especially reducing animal protein consumption, is the strongest lever and force for Chinese people to achieve sustainable development, mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity and make better use of water and land resources.
“If we want to achieve the goal of sustainable development, we should pay attention to food change from now on, which can also help alleviate the tremendous pressure in other areas to some extent.”
To some people’s queries, Jian Yi responded, “many Chinese people may think that ‘eating less meat’ might be a ‘conspiracy’ of Westerners. To some extent, it’s not just Chinese people’s problems and responsibilities. Western countries with high meat consumption must make greater efforts. However, we also need to realize that between now and 2050, half of the world’s new population will be born in six to seven developing countries, including India and Nigeria. If we don’t make the change now, it’s perfectly conceivable that soon Chinese people will turn around and say to the Indians and Nigerians, ‘Hey, can we eat less meat?’
【How does the change happen?】
How can consumers be motivated to make changes? The host asked the question about consumer education, which is of general concern to all. Jian Yi answered that when we talk about sustainable food, don't forget that food has a very important health-related dimension. Health is a major lever that can change the public, since everyone is concerned, or most people are concerned. The Good Food Fund of CBCGDF wants to bring about changes in three aspects:
1) Knowledge creation, collation, and propaganda;
2) Establishment and Change of Cognition;
3) Capacity-building.
Therefore, we hope that:
1) Supporting original research in China. Since most of the current research on the relationship between food, health, and environment is done elsewhere. We need to build a knowledge database of our own country.
2) Developing food leadership among enterprises, chefs, nutritionists, academics and young people to lead.
3) Transforming institutions, families and communities. We launched the Good Food Pledge, which including eight elements to provide a thinking framework and a goal for sustainable food, just as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) did in the field of sustainable development.
【The transition】:
Finally, Jian Yi pointed out that in the dialogue of sustainable development, people should not forget the situation of farm animals in those industrial farms. The way people treat farm animals today is a shame of civilization, and no religion or culture can justify it.
Therefore, when people talk about sustainable development, they must not forget to return to the consideration of human civilization. What values are people based on so-called sustainable development? The situation of animals in industrial farms is a clear signal that human's values have gone wrong. If people cannot self-examine and make the change for the problems in their values, no matter how many sustainable “new solutions” people offer, they will still make the same mistake. The future may not be better either.
(Photo credit: CBCGDF Good Food Fund)
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4856/9824.html
By / Xue Tongtong