Dairy Products as a Pillar of Affordable Nutrition

Here are the key findings from the Perspective Paper:

Nutritional Powerhouse

Dairy products are loaded with high-quality protein, calcium, and essential vitamins like D, B12, A, and riboflavin. These nutrients are crucial for maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and a robust immune system.

Cost-Effective Nutrition

Studies reveal that incorporating dairy into diets reduces overall food costs. For example, in the U.S., adding milk to daily diets costs approximately $0.51 and provides 26% of daily protein needs, along with more than half of the daily requirements for vitamins D and calcium. Achieving similar calcium levels from plant-based alternatives like soy or almond milk is significantly more expensive.

Superior Bioavailability

Nutrients from dairy products are more readily absorbed by the body compared to plant-based alternatives. For instance, dairy-derived protein and calcium are more effective in supporting growth and overall health than their plant-based counterparts.

Reducing Nutritional Deficiencies

Research indicates that diets devoid of animal products heighten the risk of deficiencies in iron, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid, and B12. Dairy products help bridge these nutritional gaps, making them indispensable for balanced diets.

Global Accessibility

Dairy products are widely available and relatively affordable in most regions, making them a critical component of diets, especially in resource-constrained areas.

Four Key Aspects of Sustainable Nutrition

The Perspective Paper emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to sustainable nutrition, highlighting four essential dimensions: health and nutrition, environmental impact, social acceptability, and economic factors. Notably, the inclusion of dairy and other animal products reduces the overall cost of achieving nutritional adequacy compared to plant-only diets. Here is a closer look:

1. Health and Nutrition

Balanced nutrition directly impacts physical and mental well-being, and dairy products play a significant role in this regard due to the following:

• Essential Nutrients: Calcium, protein, and vitamins like D and B12 are vital for bone health, muscle function, and immune support.

• Disease Prevention: Regular dairy consumption lowers the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and nutrient deficiencies.

• Support for Vulnerable Groups: Dairy is particularly crucial for children, pregnant women, and the elderly, who require higher nutrient intake.

2. Environmental Impact

Sustainable nutrition must account for the ecological footprint of food production:

• Reducing Carbon Emissions: While dairy farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, innovative practices like feed management and waste recycling significantly reduce the carbon footprint.

• Resource Efficiency: Beyond milk, dairy farming enhances soil fertility and helps recycle agricultural waste.

• Biodiversity Conservation: Properly managed grazing systems support landscape preservation and ecosystem health.

3. Social Acceptability

Food must align with cultural and societal norms to ensure widespread adoption:

• Cultural Significance: Dairy is a staple in traditional cuisines across the globe, making it widely accepted by consumers.

• Social Accessibility: Dairy production sustains livelihoods for millions, particularly in rural areas.

• Community Development: The dairy industry fosters local economic growth, strengthening rural communities.

4. Economic Factors

Affordability is a key determinant of sustainable diets:

• Lower Diet Costs: Incorporating dairy reduces the cost of achieving nutritional adequacy compared to plant-based alternatives.

• Widespread Availability: Dairy products are among the most affordable sources of protein and calcium, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

• Economic Growth: The dairy sector significantly contributes to national GDPs by providing employment and income for farmers.

Critique of the Planetary Health Diet

The Perspective Paper also critiques the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, highlighting its economic infeasibility for a substantial portion of the global population. Research in regions like the U.S. and New Zealand affirms the economic efficiency of dairy in meeting nutritional needs. Here’s a summary:

Key Elements of Critique

1. Economic Inaccessibility:

   • Research (Hirvonen et al., 2020) indicates that roughly 25% of the global population cannot afford the PHD due to its high cost. Compared to regional alternatives, the PHD is 60% more expensive.

2. Overlooking Economic Factors:

   • While emphasizing environmental benefits, the PHD neglects the importance of economic accessibility, making its recommendations unfeasible for low- and middle-income countries.

3. Nutrient Deficiencies:

   • Plant-based diets like the PHD may lack key nutrients such as iron, B12, calcium, and high-quality protein, which are abundant in animal products, including dairy.

4. Regional Inapplicability:

   • The universal approach of the PHD ignores cultural, social, and economic differences. For many regions where animal products are dietary staples and critical to local economies, a shift to PHD may be impractical.

Conclusion

The Global Dairy Platform’s Perspective Paper underscores that the Planetary Health Diet overlooks crucial aspects of sustainable nutrition, such as affordability and nutritional completeness. Dairy-inclusive diets offer a more accessible and balanced solution to achieving global health and sustainability goals.