All about animal proteins, 'crucial to human evolution'

A journey into the history of being human to explain the importance of animal proteins and their role in our evolution, addressing the debate on health, environment and ethics that today surround consumption and meat production. This is the focus of the book 'A spasso' with Lucy. Why we eat the way we talk. Virtue and value of animal proteins', edited by Pietro Paganini, in collaboration with Carola Macagno (Guerini e Associati, 116 p.). "Lucy - our paleo-ancestor lived more than 3 million years years ago - today one would wonder why we doubt proteins animals, which have been fundamental to the development of our brain, of language and therefore of our society", he explains Paganini. "Today we challenge a debate on nutrition that too often abandons reason to take refuge in ideology - continues the popularizer -. Meat is not an enemy of health, environment or ethics: it is part of our history, of our evolution. Many living things have evolved thanks to animal proteins, a nutritional heritage irreplaceable, for the quality and completeness of its nutrients". As explained in the book, meat, if consumed in right quantities, it is an integral part of a lifestyle balanced, as confirmed by the most recent research scientific and reports from international organizations. During the round table organized on the occasion of the presentation of the volume, attended by experts and politicians, we also discussed the impact that the production of meat has on the environment. Today in Italy all agriculture impacts 8.4% of the total climate-altering emissions and two-thirds of these are attributable to livestock farming. Since 1990, emissions from agricultural sector in Italy fell by 15.6%. "It is evident that the sector has demonstrated an awareness regarding the sustainability issues, not to mention scientific progress and digitalization which have also affected the sector livestock farming, reducing emissions and facilitating reuse of waste from a circular economy perspective - he explained Giuseppe Pulina, full professor of ethics and sustainability of breeding at the University of Sassari and president of the Sustainable Meat Association -. The introduction of new metrics that take into account the permanence of the gas, the downward revision of estimates on usage of water and the reconsideration of the environmental impacts of foods based on their nutritional value, are competing to reposition livestock activities within a framework of sustainability".