Food Matters Campaign

Food is vital, but its preparation, distribution, consumption and disposal play a huge role in climate change. VOICE’s latest campaign Food Matters focuses on the issues surrounding food and the environment offering information and advice for how each of us can make a difference to our eating, shopping and recycling habits.

Why does food matter?

The international food system is one of the single biggest consumers of fossil fuels, one of the greatest producers of greenhouse gases and one of the core users of water in the world.[1] In Ireland, over 20% of our CO 2 emissions come from agriculture alone.[2] While all of the combined stages from farm to plate make up about 20- 30% of the total CO2 emissions in Ireland. Similarly, Ireland has achieved or is on track to meeting all EU waste targets except for biodegradable or food waste, according to the EPA.[3]

Catastrophic climate change is real and is serious BUT it is stoppable if we change our ways now. Simple changes to behaviour and lifestyle patterns such as how we eat, shop and recycle are ways we all can make a difference. Food Matters offers information on the different arguments surrounding food and the environment and offers advice for how you can make a change.

Summary

Looking at the links to the different processes from farm to bin:
• Farm stage: Using vast amounts of oil and water
• Manufacturing stage: energy and materials used in packaging
• Distribution: transport of food globally and locally
• Waste: what happens to food once it reaches your home
• What you can do: become a green shopper, waste less food, grow a patch of vegetables or fruit

[1] Defra UK Prorgress Report on Sustainable Products and Materials , 2008 , page 5
[2] Environmental Impact of Products (EIPRO): Analysis of the lifecycle environmental impacts related to the final consumption of the EUhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/pdf/eipro_report.pdf
[3] EPA website news November 27th 2009 http://www.epa.ie/news/pr/2009/name,27454,en.html

Eating Oil and Water : The Farm Stage

Intensive animal rearing plays a major role in the impact food has on climate change and also accounts for massive water usage. It has been estimated that the agriculture sector alone accounts for about 26% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions.[1]  Beef is a particular challenge to climate change, because of the energy used in its farming, and the methane that cattle release into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.

Equally worrying is the finding that agriculture accounts for the largest human use of water.[2]   Not only is water scarcity a global epidemic that needs immediate attention, water taken obtained from Irish rivers, lakes and aquifers have repercussions on local communities and functions. The meat and dairy industry uses more water than fruits, vegetables and grains. In the total system, it is estimated that 500-4,000 litres of water are evaporated when producing one Kg of wheat while it takes 5,000 to 20,000 litres of water to produce one Kg of meat, all things consistent such as climate, agriculture practices, seasonal variety etc.[3]

Water is used in huge quantities to feed and hydrate livestock. The majority of water used at the farm stage goes into growing the seed need to make up the cereal fed to the livestock. Water is a problem in irrigated systems where huge amounts of energy go into pumping, sourcing and dispersing irrigated water sources. Fuel is also used heavily to power the tractors and machinery.  Cattle, as compared to pigs and chickens, consume the most soy-meal feed, often derived from cleared South American rainforests, another way the industry weighs heavily on the environment.

[1] Environmental Impact of Products (EIPRO): Analysis of the lifecycle environmental impacts related to the final consumption of theEUhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/pdf/eipro_report.pdf

[2] Saving Water: from Field to Fork Curbing losses and Wastage in the Food Chain International Water Management Institute 2008

[3 Falkenmark and Rockstramen, 2004, Report pg 11 ,

Food processors rely on the petrol based delivery of fresh or refrigerated food. They use emulsifiers, preservatives, colouring agents and other additives many of which rely on oil-based energy sources. Energy is needed to run the machinery that prepares, cleans, and cooks food at this stage. Huge amounts of water are also used to clean and process food products.