Planet

Sustainability, often defined as 'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs', refers to the three pillars of economy (prosperity), environment (planet), and society (people). The FAO has defined sustainable diets as ‘those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources’. Health, therefore, but also ethical acceptance, should not be overlooked when developing sustainable scenarios. 

Although practices within animal husbandry have worrying impacts on the environment, livestock are also part of the solution (as their elimination would make matters worse). This is feasible but would imply an adequate mitigation of the current unsustainable elements through the management of natural resources, as to increase ecological biodiversity, build soil, accumulate carbon, and reduce erosion, while working with and not against the mineral and water cycles.