Small changes in our eating habits can be a serious game changer in our fight against climate change

It’s no secret that our diet has a massive impact on our health but there are still quite a few of us who are not aware of how and where we buy our food also impacts climate change. 

Negatively or positively depending on our choices.

According the recent EAT Lancet Commission report we can indeed feed a growing global population, ethically and organically by 2050 that is not only healthier for us but also it will have a hugely positive environmental impact. Good for us, good for Mother Nature eh?!

But, changes in this report are to happen on a macro level, big business, the guys who produce these foods, the farmers, our government and the scientists need to be all on board with this.  Thankfully with the recent request of calling a climate emergency declaration in parliament will, in theory, have all these guys putting their heads together and moving towards initiatives such as rewilding our farms and their processes.

So, on a micro level, what can we do? Quite a bit actually.  Our consumer purchases give us a great deal of power.  We can change trends and change the minds of big business, for the better.

1.  Cut down on the beef and lamb.  Mass deforestation for livestock is killing our global agriculture.  Our Planet loses 18.07 acres of forests per year, this is equal to 27 football fields every minute.  The affects of which can be seen from space. Farming livestock is a huge contributor to this deforestation, alongside Palm oil and Soya farming.

2.  Follow as much of a plant based diet as possible.  This goes hand in hand with the above, if you are not eating meat there is less need for farming them, less need to feed them, less need to ship them around the world etc etc.

3. Go Organic (as much as possible, I get that there are some issues with this monetarily an availability).  For your health and for the health of our soil.  Eroding, over watered, built over soils are releasing carbon at a terrifying rate when the carbon should be staying the ground.  There is three times more carbon in the soil than there is in the atmosphere.  A terrifying prospect.  By going as organic as possible your purchasing power is putting good working practices into place by those who are investing in organic processes and sciences.

4. Buy seasonal.  Have a look at local green grocers and deliveries.  Able and Cole have gone global and are fabulous but there are many many local fruit and veg delivery businesses in each town and village up and down the UK who work with local farmers to them – cutting down on carbon footprint by keeping it seasonal and local too!

5. Waste less food.  It sounds so simple but I’ve also wasted so much food over the years it’s shameful.  Only buy what you need and if you have to much, make batches and freeze them.  If something is just over the sell by date, go crazy and use it anyway (be careful with meat and fish obvs) Sell by dates are actually, way out of date, pardon the pun, some stores don’t even have them now.

Once you start putting these processes into practice, they’ll become second nature and if you’re having a fit about going on a plant based diet, don’t worry, cutting down on meat will be enough and if you feel the need to go further then go for it.  

Small steps.

Together we can do this, we have to try right.

Jayne x