A new report by the Climate and Health Alliance has suggested the Irish diet and food system is like a slow-motion disaster, fuelling premature death and disability due to diet-related chronic diseases.

The report calls for the ending of the junk food cycle and a switch away from processed foods to more plant-based diets.

The report said the global food system can feed the world, but it has also made people heavier and sicker.

The report also said it destroys wildlife, pollutes rivers and air, and is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions.

The report is concerned that ultra-processed foods and excessive red and processed meat are dominating the Irish diet at the expense of fruit, vegetables, plant proteins, whole grains, and sustainable seafood.

The Alliance has called for a special Cabinet sub-committee to oversee 'a food revolution' and for the farming industry to be a key part of the solution.

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