Blackmores Institute has released the report, ‘Sustainable Nutrition’, a scientific literature review that assesses climate change and its predicted impact on human nutritional needs, including future access to medicinal herbs and natural medicine’s key ingredients.
Blackmores Institute Director Dr Lesley Braun says it’s important to understand how global warming will affect nutrition and natural medicine.
She adds that this is especially important for the 80 per cent of people in developing countries who completely depend on traditional herbs as their primary form of healthcare.
The report, based on a comprehensive literature review, considers the likely impact of climate change on flora and fauna, and reviews how the nutritional composition of foods may change as well as the effects on medicinal plants and marine biodiversity.
“It’s important to recognise that while environmental changes will affect our health and nutrition, our industry also has a reliance on the natural environment,” Dr Braun said. “This is changing the way product development and supplier.
Taking responsibility for its protection is vital partnerships are viewed, she adds.
For example, global fish stocks under the current climate change model will be under pressure, Dr Braun says, so Blackmores is focused on marine conservation and sustainable fishing initiatives.
“We will also continue to diversify our sources of omega-3s so we build greater resilience into our supply chain,” she said.
“Blackmores has started working with farming organisations in Australia to see how it can make use of by-products from food processing to extract valuable nutrients and fibres for products that would otherwise go to landfill.”
Blackmores Group Director of Corporate Affairs Cecile Cooper says the company’s sustainability program is resetting its focus to ensure that the supply chain can adapt to the changing physical world.
Read the full report at: https://www.blackmoresinstitute.org/sustainablenutrition
