At first glance healthier eating habits and global climate change may appear to be quite unrelated, but a new study now finds that healthier eating and cutting carbon emissions that fuel climate change, could both be linked to the food we consume on a regular basis.
According to a new study by researchers at Tulane University in the US, making simple substitutions like switching from beef to chicken or drinking plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk could reduce the average American’s carbon footprint from food by 35 percent, while also boosting diet quality by between 4-10 percent.
Carbon footprint of food, also known as ‘foodprint’ is the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by growing, rearing, farming, processing, transporting, storing, cooking and disposing of the food we eat. Food accounts for over a quarter of all global GHG emissions, with this emission varying widely in the type of food that is produced.
According to a study on the environmental impact of our foods, producing a kilogram of beef (meat herd) emits nearly 100 kilograms of GHG gases (CO2-equivalents), and poultry meat emits around 10 kilograms while a kilogram of peas emits just 1 kilogram of CO2-equivalents. Overall, animal-based foods tend to have a higher footprint than plant-based ones. Emissions are measured in carbon dioxide-equivalents. This means non-CO2 gases are weighted by the amount of warming they cause over a 100-year timescale.
The new findings highlight the potential of a ‘small changes’ approach that researchers believe could encourage more consumers to adopt climate-friendly eating habits. The study shows that cutting dietary carbon emissions is accessible and does not have to be a whole lifestyle change. Even something as simple as ordering a chicken burrito instead of a beef burrito when dining out, or picking a pack of frozen vegetables rather than frozen lamb, when out grocery shopping, can have a significant impact on emissions.
The study, which analyzed diet data from over 7,700 Americans, identified commonly eaten foods with the highest climate impact and simulated replacing them with nutritionally similar, lower-emission options. Substitutes included swapping a beef burger for a turkey burger. The study found that the largest projected reductions in emissions were seen in mixed dishes: burritos, pastas and similar popular dishes where it is easy to substitute a lower-impact protein instead of beef.
Although identifying healthy alternatives to high-carbon foods was not the intent of the study, nevertheless, the study found that swapping to lower carbon foods showed significant improvements in how healthy the diets were. While these substitutes are not intended as a cure-all for climate objectives or personal health goals, they are evidence that small changes can have a large impact.
The study clearly showed that there is overlap between sustainable diets and healthy diets, and that changing just one ingredient, or making one swap, can be a win-win, resulting in meaningful changes in both climate outcomes and how healthy our diets are.