1. First off - Understand It

When you hear the term reduce carbon footprint, you may only have a vague idea of what it means. Here is a definition of carbon footprint, and here is where you can calculate your own footprint. You may wonder what that has got to do with food. Food production contributes because of the energy used to process it and also the air miles in getting it from field or factory to the dinner table.

2. Use up Your Food

A great way to reduce carbon footprint is to make sure you are eating all of the food that you buy each week. In the United States, over thirty million tons of food each year is thrown away, releasing methane gas – gas that is 23 times more damaging to the ozone than carbon dioxide. Simply by not throwing away food, or composting food that you do have left over, you can save yourself money and help to reduce impact on the environment.

3. Reduce Food Miles

Buying imported goods, or goods that have travelled thousands of miles to reach your supermarket, are very bad for the environment. Sustainable foods can usually be locally-farmed; they may be a little more expensive, and you may not be able to have certain foods all-year round, but you can sleep soundly at night knowing that you made an effort to reduce carbon footprint. If you do buy foods that have travelled a long way to get to you, you can take steps such as cycling rather than driving to the supermarket, to try to limit the damage you’re doing.

4. Meat is a Luxury, Not a Necessity

I love meat as much as the next person, but meat simply isn’t sustainable if used for every meal. A fifth of global warming is as a result of cattle farming – more than transport! By limiting your meat consumption and replacing it with tofu or vegetables, you can help to eat more sustainable foods.

5. Cheese Can Be Replaced

Cheese is not only expensive, but also damages your carbon footprint. There are hundreds of replacements for regular cheese – vegan alternatives work just as well as many cheeses, without the hefty price tag or carbon footprint attached.

6. Select Your Fish Carefully

Changing the fish that you eat can help to lower carbon footprint because some fish will reproduce more quickly than others. There are websites online that will tell you which fish are becoming endangered and should be consumed less by humans. Some of the fish that we eat are pretty expensive too, so you can spend less money and eat sustainable food.

7. Beware of Packaging

Choosing your food carefully is a great step to help the environment, but it’s the packaging of food that sometimes boosts up the negative impact you’re having. By reusing glass and limiting the amount of plastic packaging that you purchase from supermarkets, you will be really aiding the environment.

8. Responsible Suppliers

Pollution from irresponsible suppliers can cause a lot of damage to the planet without us even realizing it. Do some research on the products you are buying – many large companies now have ethical farming policies, and some grocery stores will only have contracts with responsible farmers and suppliers.

I hope that you have found some ways here to reduce carbon footprint, and that you will perhaps eat more sustainable foods. Reducing your damage to the environment can be very easy and involve only small changes, so it’s worth trying to make even a small difference. Don’t you agree?

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