Food transition: changing what we eat to change the future

The food transition does not simply consist of replacing a package of meat with a plant-based product. It means questioning a system that considers animals as ingredients, soil as a resource to be consumed, and food as a commodity separated from its consequences.

Every meal is linked to a network of choices: which crops to support, how much land to use, how much water to consume, and, above all, whether a sentient being should be bred and killed to become food. Changing one’s diet does not alone solve all the planet's problems, but it modifies an important part of our relationship with animals and the land.

Why the food system must change

The current food system produces enormous quantities of food, but it distributes it unequally and uses many resources to feed farmed animals. A significant portion of crops is destined for the production of animal feed, instead of being consumed directly by people.

Transforming grains, legumes, and soy into meat, milk, or eggs requires additional steps. Animals need food, water, facilities, and land. Throughout their lives, they use energy to maintain their bodies, move, and breathe. Only a fraction of what they eat is converted into products intended for human consumption.

This system occupies space that could be returned to ecosystems or used to grow plant-based foods. The transition toward a more plant-based diet therefore allows for a reduction in pressure on the land, as well as avoiding the exploitation of countless animals.

The link between animal farming and the climate crisis

Animal farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through numerous processes: feed production, deforestation, energy consumption, waste management, and enteric fermentation in ruminants.

The IPCC indicates that dietary patterns with a greater presence of plant-based foods can contribute to the reduction of emissions and offer other environmental benefits. Therefore, this is not a personal preference devoid of collective consequences.

In territories such as Sicily, already exposed to extreme temperatures, drought, and loss of soil fertility, continuing to support a system that requires large quantities of water and land means increasing future vulnerability.

We have explored this relationship in depth in the article dedicated to intensive farming and the climate crisis.

The central issue is the animals

Veganism does not stem solely from concern for the climate. At its center are the animals: individuals capable of feeling fear, pain, curiosity, pleasure, and attachment.

A cow does not produce milk because it belongs to a category called “dairy animal.” It produces milk after a pregnancy, to nourish its calf. A hen is not a machine for producing eggs. A pig is not meat waiting to be processed.

The words used by the industry make these individuals invisible. People speak of heads, production, yield, weight, and mortality. The food transition also begins with language: recognizing that behind every animal product there is a life changes the meaning of our choices.

In our article Veganism: not a diet, but a different way of considering animals, we explain why eliminating animal products from the plate represents only part of a broader change.

Tradition does not mean immobility

When speaking of plant-based diets, one of the most frequent objections concerns tradition. But food traditions have never remained static: they have changed with the availability of ingredients, migrations, economic conditions, and new knowledge.

Many Mediterranean dishes are already plant-based or can become so with simple modifications. Pasta with legumes, stuffed vegetables, caponata, panelle, couscous, soups, focaccia, and numerous grain-based preparations demonstrate that plant-based cuisine is not foreign to our history.

Change does not force us to give up flavor or conviviality. It invites us to preserve what we love, eliminating the suffering that is unnecessary.

To find concrete examples, you can read What do vegans eat? Foods and recipes of Italian cuisine.

An accessible transition, not an elitist one

The vegan diet is sometimes portrayed through expensive products and special packaging. In reality, many fundamental plant-based foods are simple and traditional: legumes, pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, seeds, and grains.

Plant-based substitutes can help during the transition and make it easier to replicate certain dishes, but they are not mandatory. A balanced plant-based diet can be built around common foods, choosing seasonal products and learning to use legumes and grains correctly.

The transition must also be accessible to people with lower incomes. For this reason, institutions should support plant-based production, make alternatives available in canteens, and ensure clear nutritional information.

How to start without feeling overwhelmed

It is not necessary to immediately know every recipe or buy dozens of new products. You can start by observing what you already eat and identifying dishes that can be easily transformed.

A ragù can be prepared with lentils or soy granules. Milk can be replaced with a plant-based drink suitable for the recipe. Chickpeas and beans can become meatballs, creams, soups, and fillings. Tofu, seitan, and tempeh offer further possibilities, but they do not necessarily need to be present in every meal.

It is useful to proceed in an organized way:

• learn some basic recipes to repeat during the week;
• read labels to identify ingredients of animal origin;
• gradually introduce more legumes, varying preparations and textures;
• inform yourself about vitamin B12, which must be supplemented in a vegan diet;
• seek professional assistance in the presence of medical conditions, pregnancy, or specific nutritional needs;
• do not turn a mistake into a reason to give up: real change is built by continuing.

Our practical guide to starting a vegan lifestyle collects other useful tips.

Changing the product is not enough if the model remains the same

The food transition should not be limited to replacing every animal product with an industrial plant-based equivalent, while continuing to consume the same amounts of packaging, energy, and resources.

The problem is not just what we buy, but also how much we buy, how it is produced, and how much of it is wasted. A fairer food system must reduce waste, support responsible production, and restore value to food.

Choosing plant-based, seasonal, and minimally processed foods when possible can make the change more consistent. This does not mean seeking impossible purity, but considering animals, the environment, workers, and economic accessibility together.

From individual choices to collective change

Individual choices are important, but they cannot replace public policy. School canteens, hospitals, universities, and workplaces should offer complete and easily accessible plant-based meals.

Public funding could support farmers who choose to convert their production, develop local plant-based supply chains, and reduce reliance on animal farming. Professional training should also include plant-based cooking, so that restaurants and public facilities can offer alternatives that are not merely side dishes.

A true transition does not leave people who work in the current system alone. It offers tools, training, and resources to build different activities, instead of defending a harmful model forever because investments have already been made.

Food can become a tool of care

Eating is a daily act and, precisely for this reason, it possesses great power. Every plant-based meal demonstrates that nourishing oneself does not necessarily require the death or exploitation of an animal.

The food transition is not a punishment or a renunciation of culture. It is the possibility of creating new habits that are more compatible with the lives of other beings and the limits of the planet.

We do not have to wait for change to become mandatory due to the climate crisis. We can start now, transforming food from a result of exploitation into a tool of responsibility and care.