What did you learn about dietary choices from using the footprint calculator? Now imagine that you could translate what you learned into an effective societal policy on food- what would it be? And how would this policy effect the need to alleviate world hunger?
925 million people on earth do not have enough to eat according to the FAO [Food and Agricultural Organization]. That's almost 1 in 7 inhabitants of our planet!
Food & Hunger >
food and red meat
The carbon footprint results surprised me, especially how high my emissions from food are. A large part of this comes from eating a lot of red meat, which has a significantly higher carbon impact compared to plant-based foods. Producing beef requires more land, water, and energy, and it also releases a lot of greenhouse gases like methane. When I connect this to the global issue of food and hunger, it becomes even more serious. Resources used for high-impact foods could instead help feed more people if they were used more efficiently. At the same time, many people around the world do not have enough to eat, while others (like me) consume in ways that increase emissions. This makes me realize that changing my diet—by reducing red meat and avoiding food waste—could both lower my carbon footprint and contribute, in a small way, to a more sustainable and fair food system.