Food

Food accounts for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce my greenhouse gas emissions, I avoid eating meat and eat local organic food. 

Avoiding meat

The best way to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions when choosing food to eat is to avoid meat. According to Our World in Data, it is the meats and fish that emit the largest greenhouse gas emissions: Beef, Lamb, Mutton, Shrimps, Fish, Pig meat and poultry meat. 

Along with climate change, one of the great challenges for the world is how to feed the increasing world’s population. Already half the habitable land on the earth is used for agriculture. Livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land but only produces 18% of the world’s calories. If the world can reduce its demand for meat, particularly beef, it will mean that more land can be available for growing vegetables and/or growing forests to draw down emissions. For more details of the environmental impacts of food production, see here.

Knowing all of the above, I eat mostly vegan or vegetarian meals and classify myself as a vegetarian. In addition to reducing emissions, there are many health benefits of a vegetarian diet – reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes and lowers blood pressure. I have considered moving to a vegan diet but I like eggs and cheese too much. I also find that to get a balanced diet, it is much easier if eggs and cheese are part of the mix. Many of the meals I eat are vegan but I do not eat vegan all the time.

Some people are concerned that I will not get enough protein on a vegetarian diet. There are many sources of protein in a vegetarian diet, including: plain yoghurt, lentils, beans, milk, nuts and eggs. I have a vitamin B12 deficiency and have quarterly injections to address this. This deficiency is not related to being a vegetarian – I would have had it even if I was eating meat all the time.

Being a vegetarian is not a boring experience. You might think this if you look at the limited vegetarian options available in many restaurants. I find that there is a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian meals that can be prepared. I sometimes, like many cooks, get into a rut and cook the same things – I need to prompt myself to expand the range of cooking I undertake to take advantage of the wide range of available vegetables.

Fish

I do like having a meal with fish once a week and will eat fish at a restaurant if there are no suitable vegetarian options. I choose to eat fish at least once a week because of its health benefits. Fish is a great source of protein, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and various vitamins and minerals. I get fish from our local Farmers Market where suppliers from the south coast come up to Canberra to sell fish each week. This means I can get fish which is not farmed but caught in the wild.

Eat local organic food

Wherever possible, I eat organic food, which means they have been produced without artificial chemicals. Most such chemicals produce greenhouse gas emissions during their production and supply. For example, the N fertilizer supply chain is responsible for 2.1% of global emissions. 

I am lucky that I have an organic bulk food store in my local shopping centre. I buy flour, sugar, dried fruits, nuts at this store. Another advantage of shopping at a bulk food store is that there is no packaging – I fill my own containers.

I also have a Farmers Market that runs every Saturday morning within 3 kms of home. This means that the food generally comes from the surrounding region. As a result, the emissions generated through transporting the food to selling point are much lower than in the normal food distribution system. Another advantage of buying food items at the Farmers Market is that I get to know the people who produce the food I consume.

By buying local, I am also buying what is in season in the local region. Growing food that is out of season requires that it is grown in another location (e.g. overseas) and be transported which involves generating emissions. Other advantages of eating what is in season are that it’s better for your health, it tastes better and its cheaper. For more information about eating by the seasons, see here.

Grow own food

One way I get organic, locally produced food which tastes great is by growing it myself. I don’t consider myself a great gardener but each year I do plant seeds and seedlings and mostly get some great food as a result. Over the last few years, I have managed to grow large numbers of pumpkins. I have also frozen tomatoes and beans when there has been a good crop. 

Don’t Waste Food

One third of the world’s food is wasted. In Australia, we waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food, which equals about 312kg per person. Food waste accounts for approximately 3% of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce these emissions, I aim to minimise food waste. Very little of the food I purchase is wasted because I implement the following strategies:

• Plan meals in advance and buy the appropriate ingredients
• Prepare appropriate portion sizes for the people eating
• Use leftovers 
• Prepare meals using what is in the fridge