Joshua Gibbs
Thesis Title: Should the UK go plant-based to support its green recovery? An environmental, economic and health analysis
The Government has laid out a ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution in which they commit to transforming the energy sector, ending the sale of petrol and diesel cars, decarbonising public transport, developing greener buildings, investing in carbon capture and storage, and protecting our natural environment. Revolutionising our food system as a means of combatting the climate crisis does not seem to be a government priority. Animal agriculture is estimated to account for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed work will, for the first time, predict the environmental impacts caused by the implementation of plant-based food diets containing varying amounts of animal products in the UK. Alongside numerous environmental benefits, plant-based diets have many reported health benefits, however, data is limited and evidence gathering is still required. A portion of this project will be dedicated to assessing the health consequences of the consumption of plant-based diets. This will involve meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and prospective cohort studies to determine the effects of plant-based diet consumption on risk factors and risk of disease, respectively. The data from these studies will be used to model the effect of a plant-based food system on the rates morbidity and mortality in the UK. The health economics of adopting a plant-based food system will be estimated using data from the health model. The final focus of the project will involve surveying the implementation barriers e.g., socioeconomic, political, and geographical factors, and developing innovative solutions for them.
Biography
Josh gained his first degree in BSc Biomedical Sciences at the University of Warwick, graduating with first class honours in 2021. During his time as an undergraduate he conducted three research projects in the research area of plant-based diets which led to his first peer-reviewed publication and many conference presentations. Josh then completed a Master’s degree in Social Science Research with distinction in 2022. Josh is now undertaking a full-time PhD in Health Sciences further exploring his interest in plant-based diets.
Publications
Gibbs, J., Gaskin, E., Ji, C., Miller, M.A. and Cappuccio, F.P., 2021. The effect of plant-based dietary patterns on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled intervention trials. Journal of Hypertension, 39(1), pp.23-37.
Gibbs, J. and Cappuccio, F.P., 2022. Plant-Based Dietary Patterns for Human and Planetary Health. Nutrients, 14(8), p.1614.
Health & Wellbeing
University of Warwick
2021 Cohort, 1+3
https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-gibbs
Supervisory Team
Prof Francesco Cappuccio
Prof Andrew Oswald