Eating in Lima: Sustainable Policies Projected for 2030

The global climate emergency has pushed 14 international cities to commit to reducing carbon emissions and the consumption of animal products. Will eating in Lima ever be the same?

Eating in Lima means visiting local markets to select produce from all regions of Peru, walking past award-winning culinary standouts to frequent the best neighborhood menú, and dabbling in street food at all hours of the day.

But can we have our lomo saltado and eat it too?

In light of the global climate emergency, 14 international cities, including Lima, have signed the C40 Good Food Cities declaration. The pact aims to achieve sustainable food polices by 2030. Mayors of the signatory cities will work towards:

• Promoting a Planetary Health Diet (a sustainable diet for a healthier society and planet)
• Changing food policies (make healthy food affordable) 
• Reducing or budgeting carbon emissions (opting for local producers and organic products)
• Minimizing food waste and loss by 50% from 2015 figures

As well, Lima’s mayor, Jorge Muñoz, and the 13 other signatory mayors have committed to working with local businesses institutions and other organizations to develop and implement a plan to achieve said goals.

Cities who pledged during the October 2019 C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark include: Barcelona, Copenhagen, Guadalajara, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Oslo, Paris, Quezon City, Seoul, Stockholm, Tokyo, Toronto and of course Lima.

Inspiration for sustainable actions

Milan now offers tax breaks to stores and markets who donate leftover food rather than throwing it away. By providing an incentive to business owners, the Italian city hopes to cut food waste.

New York City introduced Meatless Mondays in city-wide public school cafeterias to lower meat consumption and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions. A study published by Journal Nature found that animal products account for 78% of agricultural greenhouse emissions.

Junk food advertisements have been banned from public transportation systems in London in order to fight against childhood obesity.

Why change how we eat?

According to a report released by C40 cities in 2019, food is one of the main sources of consumption-based emissions in big cities. “Eating a sustainable diet and avoiding food waste could cut greenhouse gas emissions from the food we eat by more than 60%,” states the EAT-Lancet Commission. The commission is one of the leading advocates for the Planetary Health Diet. Following this diet includes reducing consumption of animal products and increasing intake of fruits and vegetables to the point where fresh produce should account for half of the daily calorie intake.

Source: EAT-Lancet Commission

Cover image: Pixabay