Plant-Based food that Impact Carbon Footprint

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Plant-Based Food That Impact Carbon Footprint

*Illustration of Vegan Foods’ Materials can also reduce and increase carbon footprint. Source : unsplash*

Typically, one kilogram of cacao emits 34 kilograms of GHG into the atmosphere if not sourced sustainably.
Gardner states there’s also an ecological rationale for changing one’s diet. Animals need considerable amounts of land and water. Richard Waite and his team at the World Resources Institute estimate that producing beef demands 20 times more land and generates 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein than beans do.
Palm oil serves numerous purposes – including cooking oil, pizza crust, as well as cleaning products and detergents. Owing to its adaptability and fairly high yield per harvest, the demand for palm oil has surged over the last 50 years: production rose from 2 million tonnes in 1970 to 71 million tonnes in 2018.

A recent study released in Nature Food reveals that when individuals replace red and processed meat with plant-based proteins several times weekly, it benefits their health and can lower their diet-related carbon footprint.

The research discovered that reducing red meat intake by 50% results in notable alterations. For example, consuming it two times a week instead of four times weekly can reduce your carbon footprint by 25% and might also enhance lifespan.

“Study author Olivia Auclair from McGill University states, ‘We discovered that life expectancy increased by around nine months,’ associated with a 50% decrease.” Her research was inspired by the recent Canada Food Guide that highlights the importance of eating plant-based protein foods.

Regarding dietary modifications for better health and climate, “we don’t have to make drastic changes,” or entirely remove foods from our meals, Auclair states. The research contributes to the evidence that minor dietary adjustments can be significant, and that a healthful diet is beneficial for the environment as well.

Sudden alterations can be unsettling. We received information from Kyle Backlund, who has embraced a plant-based diet. For an extended period, he was accustomed to having meat at numerous meals, and when he reduced his intake, he noticed a decrease in his energy during workouts.

Gardner states there’s also an ecological rationale for changing one’s diet. Animals need considerable amounts of land and water. Richard Waite and his team at the World Resources Institute estimate that producing beef demands 20 times more land and generates 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein than beans do.

Land change, or the alteration or degradation of land to make way for farms or fields, is the biggest threat since it kills and puts animals in danger while releasing carbon stored in plants and fungi into the atmosphere and preventing future carbon uptake.

However, sometimes there are some plants or other plant foods that still cause a carbon footprint which is often caused by land conversion (deforestation).

Although, in the good sides, foods derived from plants – including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts, and lentils – typically require less energy, land, and water, and produce lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to foods from animals.

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Here are plant-based foods that produce significant greenhouse gas emissions.

Cocoa products

Cacao products generate significant emissions if they are not cultivated sustainably. With the global demand for chocolate rising, numerous exploitative companies turned to deforesting rainforests—crucial carbon sinks—to cultivate cacao trees. Typically, one kilogram of cacao emits 34 kilograms of GHG into the atmosphere if not sourced sustainably.

Aware of this issue, some emerging producers aim to obtain their cacao from sustainable farms that refrain from clearing rainforests, and groups like the Rainforest Alliance assist consumers in selecting chocolate from ethical producers.

Coffee

Like chocolate, coffee also has a substantial carbon footprint if produced unsustainably, primarily because of the deforestation involved in establishing coffee plantations.

Vast areas of varied forest lands are being cleared to satisfy the world’s rising need for their morning coffee.

Fortunately, many certifications are available to identify producers who source their coffee sustainably from preserved land and who offer fair wages to farmers.

Palm Oil

Palm oil serves numerous purposes – including cooking oil, pizza crust, as well as cleaning products and detergents. Owing to its adaptability and fairly high yield per harvest, the demand for palm oil has surged over the last 50 years: production rose from 2 million tonnes in 1970 to 71 million tonnes in 2018.

To meet this significant change in demand, numerous varied forests near the equator have been cleared to establish a monoculture of palm oil plantations.

However, it is also acknowledged that cultivating palm to satisfy global vegetable oil needs has reduced more severe deforestation, as it produces significantly higher oil yield per hectare compared to all other crops.

*Illustration of Deforeststion for Palm Oil Tree can be impoact for Carbon Footprint even though the same plants. Source : unsplash.com*

Grains of rice

*Rice contributes to climate change through methane emissions released during its cultivation process.* *Source : unsplash.com*

Rice contributes to climate change through methane emissions released during its cultivation process. Since rice is cultivated in submerged fields, the water inhibits oxygen from reaching the soil, enabling underground bacteria to generate methane.

With that in mind, more sustainable rice cultivation practices are being adopted where feasible, including intermittent flooding, a technique that temporarily drains the rice fields for several days before reflooding them to reduce methane accumulation.