By Seher Talukdar
The eco-friendly movement has been well established in years past and there have been plenty of ways to show kindness to the environment, both in our daily lives and in effort-requiring projects. But new methods are being developed every day, and many people don’t realize all the aspects of our life that affect the environment. One of these aspects just so happens to be our own diets.
According to the Green Eatz website, 17% of carbon emission comes from food production, while livestock can potentially take up half of all green-house gas production. This doesn’t include the plastic packaging that most food is purchased in, the chemicals that go into their farming, and all other factors. So which foods have the highest and lowest impacts? It comes as no surprise that most meat products like lamb, beef, pork, farmed fish, and eggs, all have the highest carbon emissions. Not only does the livestock contribute to greenhouse gases, the resources it takes to maintain their growth depletes the environment of fresh water and food. In addition, these products often have low shelf-life, which leads to more being wasted, and growth hormones used on them doesn’t make them that healthy either. Even going vegetarian can’t stop the issue entirely, as foods like cheese, and even nuts like almonds, also require a large amount of resources to grow. So what foods are okay to eat? Lentils, beans, fruits and vegetables, and mussels, all have a much smaller carbon footprint. In fact, most meat-excluding diets have half the carbon footprint of ones that do. But you don’t have to give up a steady source of protein to benefit the environment. Studies show that purchasing fish and meat from local markets instead helps as the animals are not mass-produced and farm raised with hormones and chemicals. The livestock itself is also healthier and better for the consumer. Other ways include finding foods that are safer to eat raw, as it eliminates the need to cook on the stove. Cooking on the stove has an entirely different (and negative) impact on the environment. However, don’t let this prevent you from cooking at home as it is a much better alternative than going out to eat or purchasing ready-made food. Frozen food has one of the highest carbon-footprints of them all. Going right along with food purchasing, shop smartly by either buying food in bulk or at a local farmer’s market, as this will cut down on the plastic packaging used. Even better is to grow your own food, but be careful not to waste water on their growth.
While there are a lot of things to consider when making environmentally-friendly choices regarding food, the overall concept is an easy one to grasp and not a hard adjustment to make. By staying local and learning to make healthier choices and cook at home, both you and the environment can benefit from the switch. All it takes is to be more aware of the purchases and choices you make, and be aware of the resources that go into the food production and preparation. Bringing carbon emissions down one step (or bite) at a time.
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