North-West University (NWU) researchers are investigating the role of whole-food plant-based nutrition in South Africa.

Prof Andrew Robinson and Dr Nanine Wyma, currently a master’s-degree student at the NWU, are co-founders of the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa. They are conducting research with the help of the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) at the NWU.

PAN South Africa is the local chapter of an international non-profit organisation that is on a mission to change the way the world eats. This is attempted by educating health professionals, students and policymakers on the role of whole-food plant-based nutrition in health promotion and disease prevention.

The preliminary research results shared by PAN South Africa focuses on how to implement plant-rich diets for type 2 diabetes in South Africa.

Case study looks at diabetics in whole-food plant-based eating challenge

Prof Robinson says the research is a case study involving 10 South African diabetics who undertook a 21-day whole-food plant-based eating challenge.

“These interventions have been well documented in other countries such as the United States of America and India, and it is the first study of this type of nutritional intervention in South Africa. It is important that it contributed to establishing the link between nutrition and climate change and COP27’s implementation agenda. The results will be published in 2023.”

Prof Robinson, who is also the deputy dean for strategy and business development in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the NWU, says PAN South Africa research is necessary as the global food system is responsible for about one third of total global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe).

“The goals set in the Paris Agreement in 2015 – aimed at limiting global warming to 1,5 ˚C – will not be possible to achieve if we do not change the way the world eats, even if current fossil fuel emissions become obsolete.”

He says animal agriculture is a leading driver of climate change, responsible for 60% of total food-related emissions, equal to about 20% of global total GHGe.

“Alarmingly, the breeding of animals for food is also contributing to one third of methane emissions, which are 80 times more powerful than carbon over a 20-year period. Eliminating animal products from your diet and eating only plant-based foods is said to be the single biggest way to reduce your individual carbon footprint, cutting food-related carbon emissions in half.”

According to Prof Robinson, whole-food plant-based diets intend to incorporate more minimally processed grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

“Healthy plant-based diets are not only good for the environment, but are also used in the prevention, management and, in some cases, reversal of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

“Considering that NCDs are the leading cause of death in South Africa and the world, eating whole-food plant-based diets has the power to address our most urgent environmental and global health issues,” concludes Prof Robinson.

This research was presented at the 2022 Food4Climate pavilion at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).

Prof Andrew Robinson