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Reducing food-related greenhouse gas emissions requires effort from producers and consumers. Shifting the food system to a more sustainable diet is the number one move. The government should encourage the production of sustainable food like plant-based vegetables and fruits by advertising or advocating school cafeterias to include a more sustainable menu. Less animal-based meat and dairies like beef, pork, milk, and butter should be consumed. Subsidizing sustainable food producers can also be considered.
How can consumers help?
How can consumers help?
When people first hear about how food can contribute to climate change, they often think that is absurd. Hence, an essential step should be raising consumers’ awareness, to show how the food they eat directly heats up our planet. In this process, the press can play a crucial role. By constantly reporting foods and climate change, they can tie these two terms up. So, when restaurants and food retailers advertise their foods as sustainable, consumers will pay more attention. People can then try more plant-based meat and dairy substitutes, insect-based proteins, and cell-based/cultivated meat as alternative proteins. They have a similar taste to actual meat, and they are healthier for both consumers and the planet. When these foods are preferred, producers will have more incentive to go green.
How can producers help?
How can producers help?
Producers can also play an important role. While livestock production is still vital in a certain area, farmers can use better feeding techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animals’ digestion and waste. Smaller herd sizes with more productive species can also reduce emissions. Bison is a good alternative for cows. Bison actually help to restore vegetation through trampling, and their grazing tactics are far more sustainable than cows. A better agricultural process like standardized disposal of crop residual reduces burning, which generates huge greenhouse gas.
What Can We Do? What we do does matter. The problem with food-related greenhouse gas comes from demands from people like you and me, so it can only be solved by us. Never underestimate our power.
We can try more plant-based protein in our diet, and tell our friends to do so. Start to add more vegetables and fruits to our meals. We should realize that what we eat determines how our foods will be produced, stored, and transported. And these directly link to greenhouse gas emissions.
Reduce food waste. Disposal of food waste requires the collection, transportation, and landfill, which generates eight percent of the total greenhouse gas emission. Cutting food waste is crucial. Also, try to buy some imperfect food that will be wasted otherwise only because of their impaired shape.
Shop with reusable bags. The production and disposal of plastic are huge contributors to climate change. Simply bringing our own reusable bags can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our planet.
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