As wonderful as it is to have cantaloupe in your fruit salad in early spring when the temperatures suddenly reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it is also a sign of something larger. With a growing population and improving technology, the food industry has become one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, but some foods are worse than others.
The consequence of having food whenever we want in as much abundance as we want (at least in the United States) is a warming planet. Of course, literal warming is not the only consequence of climate change, but scientists have placed a threshold for warming where if we hit 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial average temperatures, we have hit several tipping points.
In fall 2022, several sources and studies pointed to a series of tipping points, several of which hinge on keeping warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, and preferably at or below 1.5 degrees. If not, the results of warming could include demolishing coral reefs and the destruction of both Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, among other things. It goes without saying that these consequences are irreversible once they occur, and pose a serious threat to ecosystems and thus our food supply.
One place to start reversing the effects of this warming is within that very food supply that is being threatened. Meat, dairy and rice are some of the highest methane producers in the world, comprising around 75% of food-related warming along with other high-methane foods. In fact, meat alone makes up about 57% of all emissions released by the food industry. In Southeast Asia, rice is responsible for between 25% and 33% of the region’s total greenhouse gas emissions. These foods are staples in many diets, yet they are a major part of the problem.
Every vegan and vegetarian will tell you to cut meat entirely, which is a good solution, in a utopia. The reality, however, is that dairy and rice are also part of the problem. Additionally, every person reducing the meat they eat could have a higher environmental impact than a few people being vegan.
The richest countries are eating the most meat and the poorest are eating the least, sometimes at the expense of nutrition. This means that in the U.S., where the average person eats five servings of red and processed meat every week, more than the suggested two to four servings, something is going to have to change. The carbon footprint of beef is four times more than chicken and 10 to 100 times more than plant-based foods. In this situation, reducing the amount of beef consumed in the U.S. is a more reasonable goal than cutting meat altogether.
Balancing meat and other low-methane foods is going to vary with access to food and dietary restrictions, but cognizant consumption is not the only solution. Growing food, such as rice, in a sustainable manner may take a few changes, but it is possible. Rice is one of many crops already affected by climate change due to increased temperatures, droughts and floods. This industry also feeds about 3.5 million people and therefore has already been forced to make changes toward sustainability.
Changes to rice crops include using waste such as rice husks as animal fodder and changing how farmers irrigate their fields for better water management. Additionally, diversifying seeds is one way of helping to create pest and drought-resistant crops. It also means that we, as consumers, need to buy a variety of rice and other crops to increase demand for diversified plants. Climate change is causing more and more problems, but diversification can be used to solve some of them, regardless of the plant.
A warming planet is warmed by people. When there are more people, there is a need for more food. There is no need to go to the extreme of setting limits for the number of children people can have, but it is important to mention that the more the population grows, the more pressure there is on the planet as we increase food production. The temperature of the planet could increase by as much as two-tenths of a degree Celsius more if population growth is high. That is not an insignificant threat.
Finally, simply relying on alternative grains, “milks” and protein substitutes can play a role in showing companies exactly what needs to change. Many of the alternatives are far from perfect. For example, a lot of water is needed to produce almond milk, but switching quinoa for rice is a good solution.
Consumption, production and growth are the three key factors limiting the amount planet Earth warms. Without careful practices such as reducing red meat consumption in rich nations and sustainable crop growth, we will see irreversible damage to the planet. It is going to take all of us to reverse climate change, and it can start with the food you eat every day. (inhabitat via The Guardian)