Sustainable Food System—Plant-Based Alternatives and Health Impacts

The clear negative impact on the environment and human health shows that the current food systems are not sustainable, and future generations may experience issues like food scarcity, malnutrition, etc., on a scale far larger than what is currently the case. Plant-based alternatives have been proposed as a solution to these issues as a consequence of several on-the-ground experiments and research studies, including life cycle evaluations, that have revealed the benefits of plant-based diets and the environmental harm that animal agriculture produces. It is now known that a vegan or plant-based diet, which was created to protect animal rights and welfare, has favourable health consequences, like a decreased risk of acquiring chronic illnesses like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The findings suggest that switching to a plant-based diet can increase environmental sustainability while simultaneously promoting better health outcomes. A few items, such as plant-based milk, cream, and meat are currently common place on the market but are only available to those from higher socioeconomic classes. In order to replace an existing trend or habit, something new must be offered; in this case, offering organoleptic and nutritious plant-based alternatives to people will encourage them to become vegans, not only for the sake of the environment but also for their health. This chapter focuses on the establishment of sustainable food systems and how they affect our health. Since everything has benefits and drawbacks as well as varying opinions among individuals, the difficulties of this change in diet are also highlighted.