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 >
Vegetarianism
Around the beginning of the year, I decided to start a vegetarian diet for many different reasons. Because of this change, my carbon footprint for the food portion of the calculator is 1,278 kgs. This compares to our region's average of 2,223 kgs. The average vegetarian has about half the carbon footprint of meat eaters, and vegans have even less. Although it is not plausible for everyone to completely give up meat, people can still reduce their carbon footprint in various ways. Even just cutting out red meats can reduce one's carbon footprint by a quarter. Participating in meatless Mondays helps too!
In 2016, I chose to become vegan. Now, I am only vegetarian, but my carbon footprint is still much lower than the average person's. A vegetarian diet does deliver a decreased carbon footprint, eating more fruits and veggies reduce the amount of trash and overall carbon in the environment. Food waste, in turn, increases the carbon footprint which counters the positive gains. Perishable fresh fruit and vegetables are more likely to be thrown away than fresh meat and fish. Eating fresh and healthy has many benefits in the environment.