This idea that I have the power to reduce my footprint just by choosing different foods got me thinking more about which foods I should try to avoid and which I should eat more of. The obvious food groups come to mind: meat, milk, eggs and other animal products. What do these foods have in common that make them worse for the environment? The answer that was clear to me was that all these foods are labor-intensive. That is, these foods require large industries and factories to produce; consequently, the production and distribution use high volumes of energy and water. Many of these industries pollute our water and air (such phenomenon also contributes to the idea of Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons"). So, then, if we should limit our intake of meat and dairy on the basis that their production wreaks much havoc on our environment, shouldn't we also be avoiding all the other foods from the processed food industry? This, I believe, is just the tip of the iceberg of the conversation on food in today's modern culture.
Photo credits:
1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=nT3pSEXJ9iXGmM&tbnid=KCmDnIcXtbaYFM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwakeup-world.com%2F2013%2F06%2F24%2F10-things-the-processed-food-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know%2F&ei=0M5RUpL9PMPCigKLjYD4BA&bvm=bv.53537100,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNE6FeISLDpKX_YQZv_ejVWnlxO6lA&ust=1381179157190036
2. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=BA_G-oSZ1zyQUM&tbnid=mcd9HlEUm1AvnM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwholelifekitchens.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F03%2F20%2F10-things-the-food-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know%2F&ei=Q85RUo_yCae9igK6t4CoDA&bvm=bv.53537100,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNE6FeISLDpKX_YQZv_ejVWnlxO6lA&ust=1381179157190036
3. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jzSFcbLZIlibxM&tbnid=qy5ICOcv31vaUM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nutraingredients.com%2FResearch%2FFinished-product-fortification-Tackling-the-challenges-of-omega-3-in-processed-foods&ei=xM5RUu_2GOnGiwLauoHoBg&bvm=bv.53537100,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNE6FeISLDpKX_YQZv_ejVWnlxO6lA&ust=1381179157190036
Hi Anna,
ReplyDeleteYou're totally right about the impact that our diets can have on the environment. People often overlook the environmental consequences of processed food - conversation is usually limited to the origin of animal products and produce. Your post does a really good job of bringing these other issues to light.
This is a great post. It is almost ALWAYS overlooked that eating meat and consuming other animal products through the factory-farming industry is the largest unnecessary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (mostly from methane, which is much more polluting than CO2).
ReplyDeleteHowever, the reason for this isn't purely because these foods are more "labor-intensive" to produce. The primary reason is that producing meat, a 'second-level' food source, rather than eating plants, a 'first-generation' source, is energy inefficient. This is because the energy contained in the grains we use to feed various animals (pigs, cows, chickens, etc.) is not all directly converted to consumable products. Much of this energy is used by the animal simply by living. If we bypass animals, and move more towards 'first-generation' foods, we require much less land and energy to feed and equivalent number of people. This is one of the main reasons behind eco-vegetarianism and eco-veganism. I'm a proud vegetarian as well, and this is one of the big reasons that I have chosen this diet. Good job, and keep it up!