What should we eat?
Well, if we want to have the smallest impact on the environment, a Mediterranean diet seems the way to go.
That’s what UNE PhD candidate Nicole Allenden found in her sustainable consumption research, which she recently presented in the UNE Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
Nicole was one of the eight finalists to compete in September.
The academic research communication competition seeks to challenge research students by asking them to condense their 80,000-word thesis into a compelling three-minute video presentation for a general audience.
Nicole’s presentation, titled ‘What should we eat? Realistic solutions for reducing our food footprint’ focused on her research of sustainable food systems within the field of environmental psychology, specifically; how to shift people to eat a sustainable diet.
“The main source of food emissions come from livestock, and consumption of meat and dairy is increasing globally - placing enormous stress on the environment. Consuming a sustainable or plant-rich diet has been identified as a key strategy to reducing these emissions, especially in high-income countries like Australia, where most people consume a high meat diet,” says Nicole.
“Further to these environmental advantages is the greater health and animal welfare benefits associated with eating a plant-rich diet compared to an omnivore diet.
“Using behaviour change models, my research first assessed which plant-rich diet (Mediterranean, flexitarian / semi-vegetarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan) to target in an intervention.
My results found that the Mediterranean diet was the best diet to promote in a high-income country such as Australia – it has moderate environmental and animal welfare benefits, is very healthy, and is the plant-rich diet people are most likely to adopt."
My results found that the Mediterranean diet was the best diet to promote in a high-income country such as Australia – it has moderate environmental and animal welfare benefits, is very healthy, and is the plant-rich diet people are most likely to adopt.
“I am now researching the barriers and drivers to consuming a Mediterranean diet, and this information will be used to develop an intervention aimed at shifting people to a plant-rich diet.”
From growing up in Central Queensland to living in multiple urbanscapes in Brisbane, Japan and London, Nicole had become deeply concerned about climate change and was keen to reduce her carbon footprint. This drove her decision to move bush, and learn about sustainable living and growing her own food, which inspired her choice of thesis topic.
“I had been reading about the impact of our food systems on climate change and was surprised to learn that livestock had the greatest impact on the environment. Like most people in Australia, I had grown up eating a high meat diet so I was keen to conduct research in this area and develop practical and realistic solutions to support a sustainable food system.”
For Nicole, the enjoyment from her research comes from working with other people to find practical solutions.
“As part of my research I conducted qualitative interviews to better understand people’s eating habits, including the barriers and drivers to eating a Mediterranean diet.
The information I gathered was extremely rich, and it was inspiring to hear how motivated people are to eat a sustainable diet and how they had overcome some of these barriers."
The information I gathered was extremely rich, and it was inspiring to hear how motivated people are to eat a sustainable diet and how they had overcome some of these barriers.
"I certainly learnt a great deal and am excited to continue to develop these ideas and further support people to eat more sustainably.”
This collaboration has extended to colleagues from other disciplines, which Nicole admits has only improved her own research.
“I have been fortunate to work with UNE researchers from other disciplines, including the environmental and animal sciences. Engaging in interdisciplinary research has not only enhanced my knowledge and learning but has enriched my research by incorporating information that is interrelated to my thesis topic. “
Research aside, reaching the finals of the UNE 3MT competition is no easy feat. And Nicole finds no difficulty in pinpointing the most challenging part of the competition: condensing her research (an 80,000-word thesis) into a three-minute presentation.
"When you spend so much of your time reading and writing extensively about your thesis topic, it can be hard to describe your research in such a short space of time."
When you spend so much of your time reading and writing extensively about your thesis topic, it can be hard to describe your research in such a short space of time.
"However, learning to convey your research in a concise, engaging, and understandable manner is key to ensuring your research is impactful.”
With such a daunting task, Nicole has the following advice for any future competitors.
“My advice is to do the 3MT training seminars through UNE. They are highly informative and provide practical advice from people who have presented a 3MT. I also found it helpful to watch past participants’ videos to get tips and ideas.”
