RJS-PBH

Experts Advocate Plant-Based Diets and Millets to Counter Health and Environmental Crises at International Nutrition Forum.

New Delhi/London: An international panel of agricultural scientists, environmental advocates, and community leaders called for a decisive shift toward plant-based diets, vegan practices, and traditional millets to address surging lifestyle diseases and ecological distress. The observations were made during the 645th edition of the RJS Positive Media webinar, organized in collaboration with the Indian Vegetariansand Vegans Society, London, to mark the conclusion of National Nutrition Week(1-7 September 2026).Uday Kumar Manna, founder and national convenor of RJS Positive Media, announced that proceedings and documented contributions from the organization's initiatives since August 1 will be incorporated into its forthcoming eighth archival volume.

Zindagi ke Saath bhi Zindagi ke Baad bhi. Before concluding the session, the assembly observed a period of silence to pay condolences on the passing of Smt. Manjula Srivastava, mother of organization member Pranjal Srivastava, on September 5.2026.

Nitin Mehta, author, founder of the Indian Vegetarians and Vegans Society, London, and chief guest at the event, highlighted the ethical and environmental toll of industrial animal agriculture and modern dairy operations. He argued that commercial dairy farming involves severe animal welfare compromises, including intensive artificial insemination cycles, the separation of calves from mother cows, the culling or export of male offspring, and the prevalence of bovine joint disorders stemming from high-protein feeds.

On global environmental parameters, Hon. incharge of RJS POSITIVE BRANCH, London Mr.Mehta stated that approximately 120 billion farm animals are slaughtered annually for human consumption worldwide, with more than 32 billion chickens held in industrial factory farms at any given time. He noted that diverting staple crops like maize to livestock feed inflates basic commodity prices and deprives impoverished populations of essential nutrition, while intensifying pressures on global freshwater supplies and marine ecosystems. Citing long-term clinical research, including findings from the University of Oxford indicating lower rates of ischemic heart disease among vegetarians, Mehta cautioned urban consumers in India against heavy consumption of processed cottage cheese (paneer), describing it as metabolically demanding and detrimental to long-term cardiovascular health. He urged civil society groups to administer dietary pledges in educational institutions to encourage youth toward meat-free living.

Dr. Shrawan Singh, Principal Scientist at the Division of Vegetable Science, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, outlined the scientific mechanisms underpinning vegetarian and vegan diets. He explained that plant foods supply essential secondary metabolites, such as lycopene, alongside dietary fiber and antioxidants. These compounds actively neutralize cellular free radicals generated by physiological stress, mitigating the progression of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Addressing institutional benchmarks, Dr. Singh noted that dietary frameworks formulated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommend an intake of at least 400 grams of vegetables daily to fulfill human micronutrient and protective compound requirements. Responding to concerns regarding chemical residue on produce in tropical climates, he urged consumers to prioritize seasonal crops, promote kitchen and rooftop gardening, and adopt post-harvest domestic safeguards, such as blanching or soaking vegetables in lukewarm water for five to ten minutes to reduce surface contaminants. He clarified that the Government of India has authorized genetically modified technology exclusively for commercial cotton cultivation, with no GM food crops approved for domestic consumption.

Raspinder Singh Grewal, practicing natural farmer and Director of the Millet Campaign and Diversification Programme at Punjab-based Kheti Virasat Mission, framed dietary choices as central to groundwater conservation and soil rehabilitation. He pointed out that cultivating one kilogram of millets requires between 250 and 500 liters of water, compared to over 8,000 liters for paddy in Punjab, 2,000 liters for wheat, and an estimated 5,000 to 15,000 liters for producing a single kilogram of meat.

Grewal observed that the post-Green Revolution shift to water-intensive paddy monoculture had degraded Punjab's agricultural ecosystem, depleting soil organic carbon levels from an optimal 1 percent to between 0.2 and 0.3 percent across 200 surveyed villages. In contrast, millets function as hardy C4 grasses that grow across diverse temperature zones without synthetic agrochemicals. He emphasized that traditional culinary preparation, including prolonged soaking of grains such as pearl millet (bajra) for ten hours and steam cooking, effectively neutralizes intrinsic anti-nutritional factors. He added that fermented millet preparations help restore intestinal microflora, citing clinical observations by the mission where patients managing chronic diabetes stabilized glucose levels and reduced insulin reliance.

Dr. Indu Jain, expert advisory member of the National Commission for Minorities, New Delhi, situated dietary responsibility within the classical philosophy of ahimsa (non-violence) and the principle of parasparopagraho jivanam (all life is bound together by mutual support). She stressed that ethical restraint extends across all living entities, from microscopic organisms to larger fauna. Dr. Jain highlighted traditional behavioral disciplines, including the avoidance of nocturnal dining (ratri bhojan), daily rituals of mutual forgiveness (Pratikraman), and meticulous food hygiene, asserting that mindful consumption fosters both inner tranquility and social harmony.

The program was attended by Uday Shankar Singh Kushwaha, Dr. Kavita Parihar, Rati Chaubey, Ishhaq Khan, Sweety Paul, Sadhak Dr. Om Prakash, Akanksha, Amrita Ghai, Rukhsana Parveen, Sushma Singh, Motilal Sharma, Rakesh Maurya, Mayank, Meena Singh, Manushi Singh, Vijay Verma, Vivek Kumar Singh, Neelima Chatterjee, Rakesh Jain, Priyanka Vaish, among others.

Uday Kumar Manna, founder and national convenor of RJS Positive Media, also confirmed an upcoming institutional collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society for a media conference and blood donation initiative.