- Food and agriculture are thought to be responsible for over 25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In contrast, transportation-related emissions make up around 20% of the total, thus eating locally does not always translate into being more environmentally friendly.
- Large fields of grass are necessary for cattle to consume, and they also need area to wander and graze. cow ranchers have resorted to burning or removing forests and other natural areas to turn them into cow ranches in order to generate the expansive pastures these animals need. Since these ecosystems-which include plants and the fungal networks underneath them-are “carbon sinks,” they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and either utilize or store it, causing a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
- The environmental effect is so significant that a 100-gram shrimp cocktail is estimated to release the same amount of carbon dioxide as burning 90 liters of gasoline.
Which foods have the most effects on the environment, and what are the greatest substitutes?
The world’s ability to import and export food goods from around the globe has expanded due to the fast globalization that has taken place over the past 50 years. The fact that a grocery store in Peru and one in Germany may have the same item that was imported from Thailand is not surprising.
Growing demand for food products in developed nations, along with a growing cultural expectation of availability, has put intense pressure on producers to increase production, which has increased the stress that humans place on the environment. This is because transportation is no longer a barrier to market expansion.
Food and agriculture are thought to be responsible for over 25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In contrast, transportation-related emissions make up around 20% of the total, thus eating locally does not always translate into being more environmentally friendly.
Given the pressing need to cut our carbon emissions by 2030 to avert a 1.5-degree rise in global temperatures, understanding how our diets affect our personal carbon footprints is crucial. This awareness can help us decrease our consumption and dependence on certain foods or seek more eco-friendly options.
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What types of foods contribute the highest greenhouse gas emissions?
The environmental effect of food is evaluated based on the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions intensity is quantified in kilograms of “carbon dioxide equivalents” – encompassing CO2 as well as all greenhouse gases-for each kilogram of food, each gram of protein, or each calorie.
Foods derived from animals, particularly red meat, dairy products, and farmed shrimp, typically have the highest greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to:
Meat production typically necessitates large grasslands, which are frequently established by deforestation, releasing carbon dioxide that is stored in the forests.
Cows and sheep release methane while breaking down grass and plants.
The waste produced by cattle on pastures and the chemical fertilizers applied to crops for cattle feed release nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
Shrimp farms frequently take over coastal areas that were once covered by mangrove forests, which sequester significant amounts of carbon. The significant carbon footprint of shrimp or prawns primarily arises from the carbon stored in mangroves, which is released into the atmosphere when these forests are cleared to establish shrimp farms.
Here are animal-based foods that produce significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Beef
Overwhelmingly, beef is the highest emitter of greenhouse gases, producing over twice as much emissions per kilogramme as the second-highest food emitter (lamb). This is especially destructive as the demand for red meat from beef has skyrocketed in the past 50 years. Since 1961, total beef production has tripled worldwide, and fast food restaurants sell over fifty billion burgers every year.
The high potency of beef’s environmental impact boils down to two factors: land use and methane emission.
Large fields of grass are necessary for cattle to consume, and they also need area to wander and graze. Cow ranchers have resorted to burning or removing forests and other natural areas to turn them into cow ranches in order to generate the expansive pastures these animals need. Since these ecosystems-which include plants and the fungal networks underneath them-are “carbon sinks,” they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and either utilize or store it, causing a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
These trapped gasses might be released if these ecosystems are destroyed, which would stop future emissions from being absorbed.
As it breaks down grasses and grains via a process known as enteric fermentation, beef also generates a lot of methane gas. Methane gas, which makes up 49% of beef’s emissions, is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the short term, despite the fact that this is a natural process for cows that is nearly impossible to avoid.
Dairy products and cheese
Although cheese and dairy originate from cows, the cows raised for beef have greater GHG emissions than those used for dairy, primarily because of the extensive land needed for free-ranging beef cattle.
Nonetheless, cheese and dairy manufacturing remains among the top sources of GHG emissions, releasing over 30kg of greenhouse gases for every kilogram of food produced.
The water needed for cheese production is another environmentally taxing aspect: approximately 1,000 gallons are needed to make only one ounce of cheese.
Cultivated shrimp
Despite being small, farmed shrimp significantly affect the environment, primarily because of the land transformation needed to establish their farms. Mangrove trees, vital for carbon capture in Latin America and Asia, are cleared to create space for shrimp farms on coastlines.
The environmental effect is so significant that a 100-gram shrimp cocktail is estimated to release the same amount of carbon dioxide as burning 90 liters of gasoline.
Also Read:
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) on Distinc Options in Indonesia
- How Mineralization Can Help Reducing Carbon Emission
Editor: Savira Oktavia
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