No Sustainability Goals In Forthcoming U.S. Dietary Guidelines

The U.S. secretaries of agriculture and health have decided not to include food sustainability goals in the upcoming national dietary guidelines, though the guidelines advisory committee suggested it would be a good idea. It seems including sustainability guidance proved too controversial. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the guidelines would stick to the original mandate: “provide nutritional and dietary information.” Advocates say meat production, for example, requires a lot of land and water and also contributes to methane emissions, so some attention should be devoted to setting sustainability goals. The meat institute's CEO said sustainability is "an important food issue," but the secretaries’ decision was a good one.