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 Progress 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