How your diet can save the planet

By Macson Alameda

July 08, 2020

As ¼ of the climate change is fueled by livestock and agriculture, our diet is a powerful tool in our arsenal to mitigate and combat climate change. Examining our dietary preferences and patterns is a great way to take actions that can make our life greener.

Our dietary preferences are rooted in our culture, geography and finances. A vegan / vegetarian diet may not be an option for every person on the planet, however, there is value in reexamining our eating habits to make eco conscious choices.

The easiest first step to make is to focus on the local produce. Produce that has been grown locally lacks emissions linked to transportation associated with them, and is the easiest switch to make to eat greener.

Eating less meat is a viable option for those who are hesitant to completely give up on meat. Most studies examining diet and the planet have concluded that eating less meat and pivoting towards a plant based diet will positively affect the environment.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are often pushed out as the perfect step an individual can take to combat climate change. And while this is mostly true, however one still needs to consider the deforestation that takes place to support the growth of certain vegan superfoods such as avocados and almonds. Producing them in commercial numbers is leading to environmental degradation.

The web between food production, deforestation, greenhouse gases is extremely complicated and entangled, and there is no one size fits all approach to climate change that can be promoted. Every dietary preference is filled with pros and cons. One might wonder what the solution is then? Should we embrace veganism, or continue to eat meat. There is information available to reinforce and dispute every claim out there.

So what should we do? We’re afraid there isn’t a straightforward solution. What we recommend is to include more planet cooling food in your diet, while steadily reducing the amount of planet warming foods we consume. If you have the means, ensure that the food you consume, whether it is meat or plants, is produced sustainably.

We would like to reiterate that we understand that our audience is global, and not every diet is achievable for every person on the planet. We do not expect, or condone our members to follow a particular diet, we would just like you to make more sustainable choices.