India ranked most climate friendly food consumption amongst G20 nations

In the last year, the Indian government has introduced initiatives to promote environmentally sustainable practices.

India’s food consumption pattern is the most climate-friendly amongst G20 nations—19 countries from Europe and the African union—according to GlobalData.

It was also highlighted as a global blueprint for sustainable living by a World Wide Fund for Nature report. If all countries adopt India’s consumption pattern, the world would need 0.84% of the planet to support food production by 2050+, the report stated. 

“In recent years, India has observed an intensified vegan movement emphasising plant-based diets and climate-resilience which require fewer resources and generate lower emissions compared to meat-heavy diets,” Shravani Mali, consumer analyst at GlobalData, said.

He also noted that 79% of Indian respondents look for sustainable food and drinks when making a purchase.

“The Indian government has introduced initiatives to promote environmentally sustainable practices such as the National Millet Campaign and the International Year of Millets (2023). Additionally, the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) aims to improve climate-resilient farming,” Deepak Nautiyal, consumer and retail commercial director for APAC and Middle East at GlobalData, said.

“With the food system being one of the major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, shifting towards plant-based diets could significantly reduce emissions,” Mali concluded.