Five Easy Ways To Make Your Diet More Climate-Friendly

Roughly one third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions comes from our food. From farms, facilities where food is produced, how it is transported, and when it is wasted. But not all foods are created equal. Want to make a difference? The best choices might surprise you.

1. Waste less

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We waste as much as FORTY PERCENT of the food we produce. If we can waste less food, we can reduce how much food we produce. In Canada and the US, much of this waste happens in the home, but much also happens at restaurants and grocery stores.

Zero-waste Canada has some ideas for what you can do in your kitchen.

We can also compost. If food waste goes directly to the landfill, it rots, creating methane, which is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas. Proper composting creates carbon dioxide--still a greenhouse gas but far less worrisome overall at the household level.

Learn about composting here or encourage your municipality to start a year-round "green bin" program.

2. Eat less meat, and when you do, choose fish

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People in developed countries eat too much meat. Livestock production accounts for a large portion of the carbon footprint of our diets. But we should think twice about taking meat out of our diets entirely. Livestock, raised in the right ways, can be beneficial to biodiversity on some lanscapes.

Choosing fish, provided it is harvested sustainably, is a climate-friendly solution. Fish are an important source of protein to many communities around the world, and have a much lower carbon footprint!

3. Eat fewer processed foods

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If you can, prepare your own meals! A large part of the greenhouse gasses that come from the food system are created during the 'post-production' stages of the food chain: processing, packaging, distribution, refrigeration, and waste. Buying less processed foods can cut out many of these steps.

This is especially important for people looking for meat substitutes. The carbon footprint and other environmental costs of many highly processed meat alternatives, like those made from soy, can be high. Vegetarians and vegans concerned about animal welfare should think twice about these products and their impacts.

4. Support local farmers!

Philip Loring

Strong local farming communities make our communities and our food systems more resilient and secure. The foods they grow may not always be as carbon-efficient, but many small-scale farmers and ranchers are finding ways to directly fight climate change with their practices. Plus, there are multiple ways that ecological approaches to agriculture are more beneficial to our health and the health of the planet.

If we support local producers, they can continue to innovate and shift the balance. Not everyone can afford local food, so it's on those of us who can to be the early adopters. If local producers win, everyone wins.

5. Push for change!

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The vast majority of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions do not come from our homes or cars. They come from industry, from manufacturing, and from the many steps that our food takes before it reaches our plates. Its not very fair for the entire burden of reducing our societal carbon footprint to rest with individuals.

According to Project Drawdown, renewable energy and improved food production practices are among the most important changes our societies can make right away. Many of these changes don't hinge on the creation of new technologies. We need to reward corporations that are leading these efforts for change, and walk away from those that are not.