Report reveals most common foods that are damaging the climate

Are your favourite foods damaging the climate?

Did you know your love for chocolates, avocados or meat delicacies are silently damaging the climate? This may sound absolutely bizarre to relate food and climate change, but this is the harsh reality that some foods and their extraction process is silently impacting and damaging the climate.

According to a recent report presented at the United Nations summit General Assembly warns that “human beings have only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change.” This is because “food production is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions.”

Reducing carbon emission is not as easy as it sounds, but the change may begin from something as simple as tweaking the diet. Here’s a list of common foods that are harming the climate.

​Butter

Butter is a staple for most of us, but did you know producing 12 kg of butter generates CO2 per kilogram, this is why this dairy based product is the third most damaging food on the planet as compared to other dairy based products.

​Chicken

This will leave most chicken lovers disappointed, but eating this much loved bird can also lead to climate change by creating a carbon footprint. According to experts, lean and white meat produces 5 kg of CO2 per kilogram of food,which is comparatively less than red meat. But if you are planning to reduce your carbon footprint, then you must cut down on your intake.

​Palm oil

Even oil production can damage the climate in the long run. Palm oil produces around 6.3 kg of CO2 per kilogram of oil. Apart from that, this day-to-day staple has led to wide deforestation ripping off the natural habitat. In fact, Palm oil is used in huge quantities in the production of foods like ice cream, processed and packaged foods to even other essential household products.

​Chocolate

While chocolate is the most loved sweet indulgence around the world, the harsh impact of this sweet is absolutely bitter for the climate. Chocolate production has led to massive deforestation, which has paved the way for natural calamities. Apart from that, chocolate is one of the major GHG (greenhouse gasses)contributors due to the milk powder it contains. So, if at all you are planning to sacrifice your love of chocolates for the planet, you can also go for dark chocolate which is comparatively less climate damaging.

​Farmed salmon

According to experts, farmed salmon has a higher carbon footprint as compared to wild salmon due to the higher need of energy. As per a report published by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 1 kg of farmed salmon produces CO2 equivalent of around 2.5. The carbon footprint of salmon farmed on land also requires significantly more electricity than those farmed in open water bodies, this is high in case coal is used to generate electricity.

​The solution

Massive production on a commercial scale of these foods has led to a detrimental impact on the climate. If we start consuming locally produced, artisanal and handmade foods, the damage is definitely going to be less severe and the benefits of consuming such foods is countless.


Source: Timesofindia