WASHINGTON— A new analysis released today by the Center for Biological Diversity found state dietary guidance is largely inconsistent in how it addresses healthy and sustainable diets across the country.

“People need clear, consistent nutrition guidance so they can make the best choices for their health and the planet. Our analysis shows that in most places they aren’t getting it,” said Leah Kelly, food and agriculture policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Our country is at a tipping point, with nutrition-related chronic disease, food insecurity and the climate crisis coming to a head. States have the power and the responsibility to promote health and sustainability. It’s desperately needed in light of the Trump administration’s conflicting dietary guidelines.”

Dietary Guidance and Sustainability by State: Scorecards and Analysis found only three states — California, Hawai‘i and Virginia — consider both sustainability and the climate harm from meat production in their dietary guidance, despite the key role dietary choices play in driving climate change.

Most states lacked consistent nutrition guidance and cohesive sustainability messaging, which is pivotal to supporting a healthy and sustainable food system.

The report reviewed publicly available nutrition guidance for all 50 states. Each state was scored based on how they used federal dietary guidance to improve their constituents’ health and whether they promoted environmentally sustainable diets.

The report also found only six states explicitly considered sustainability in their dietary guidance and just 13 states discussed reducing red or processed meat, which is strongly associated with lowering health risks — including cardiovascular disease — and fewer environmental harms.

While the federal government is responsible for dictating national nutrition policies through the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, state governments implement those policies and adapt federal guidance to meet the needs of their populations.

State guidance is especially crucial since the Trump administration has backtracked on its obligation to provide scientifically accurate nutrition guidance. Instead, it released dietary guidelines that favor unhealthy and unsustainable consumption of meat and dairy.

The administration has also cut funding and reduced eligibility for the federal food stamp program, known as SNAP. That includes eliminating SNAP-Ed, the nation’s primary nutrition education program. It’s also given food industry interest groups, particularly animal agriculture, influence on government nutrition policies and programs.

“We found great examples of states going above and beyond federal recommendations to provide sustainable dietary guidance. This proves that states can take the lead even as the Trump administration keeps throwing up roadblocks,” said Kelly. “There’s a clear opportunity for states to improve their nutrition-related resources and programs to support communities and the environment.”

The report identifies several key recommendations for states. These include creating comprehensive state-tailored dietary guidance and a strategic plan that integrates sustainability goals with nutrition goals; creating and promoting dietary materials and programs that address the need to consume more plant proteins and less meat and dairy; and rejecting collaboration with for-profit food and agriculture industry interest groups.

Dietary guidance from governments plays a key role in both public health and environmental outcomes, influencing everything from individual diets to nutrition education, health policies and food access programs. Food systems account for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, so nutrition policy has a tremendous influence on our climate.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans shapes more than $40 billion in federal spending, with sweeping impacts on food-related greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this year, the Center released a model for healthy and sustainable dietary guidelines, which shows what the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should have looked like had it followed scientific and sustainable nutrition research.