A Climatarian diet's primary goal is to reverse climate change. The diet isn’t new and it came to prominence a few years back when the New York Times listed is as one the top ten new food words for 2015. A Climatarian minimises or takes food out of their diet that has a high carbon footprint. You are eating to benefit the planet and better health is a byproduct of that decision. And that is quite the departure from how we view traditionally view diets. YOU MIGHT ALREADY BE A CLIMATARIAN IF YOU ARE EATING LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD (TO REDUCE ENERGY SPENT IN TRANSPORTATION), CHOOSING PORK AND POULTRY INSTEAD OF BEEF AND LAMB (TO LIMIT GAS EMISSIONS), AND USING EVERY PART OF INGREDIENTS (APPLE CORES, CHEESE RINDS, ETC.) TO LIMIT FOOD WASTE.
Food is responsible for 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions and some foods have a far higher impact than others. This is an area where sometimes the consumer can be completely oblivious and without a carbon footprint label, how would we know any better? Nonetheless, here are some broad brushstrokes to follow.
Remember that the more processing, packaging and transport that is involved in the production of a particular food, the more that product will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Fruits and vegetables that have been grown in a greenhouse and transported across the world in refrigerated vehicles, for example, could very well have a larger carbon footprint than a serve of beef or lamb. Climatarianism thus also involves being conscious of food miles while shopping, and looking for produce that is locally produced and minimally packaged.
Dairy products (particularly cheese) have a considerable carbon footprint. No one wants to hear that but the facts are in about cheese. Dairy cows produce as much methane as beef cows yet seem quarantined from the flack the red meat industry cops. World cheese production increased from 22 million tonnes a year, a whopping lift from15 million tonnes in 2000, in line with the growth of the Vegetarian movement. Cheese is seen as a natural protein swap out for animal meat products, thus the increase in volume. The problem is cheese has a higher carbon footprint than some kinds of meat. Beef and lamb are the main CO2 offenders but cheese ranks above pork, chicken and fish. Yes, it does. We’re sorry.
Becoming a Climatarian requires a basic knowledge of the carbon footprint emitted by each type of meat and dairy product. At a minimum, what consumers need to know is that beef and lamb are the worst offenders and thus, like generations before us and many other cultures around the world, we should treat them as a delicacy to be saved for special occasions. Beef and lamb have five times the impact of other meats and way more than plant foods. So, simply by switching from beef and lamb to pork and poultry in everyday meals, people can save a massive tonne of emissions. ‘Meat Free Mondays’ are a great start to curbing red meat consumption.The Climatarian approach adds another lens to our food choices. Its not an all or nothing doctrine – its a spectrum and its meant to be flexible. In addition, it works with any existing personalised eating plan - a series of questions that can be applied to any diet or eating ethos out there to realise true eco-consumerism.
The Climatarian Challenge is a very simple app that gets us thinking about the food we eat and the impact we have on the environment. While the scale of the task of reducing global warming is enormous, adopting an environmentally ethical diet such as climatarianism, is a strong step in the right direction. As a consumer you wield great power. Next time you order a cut of meat at a restaurant, ask if you can have half the serve for a reduced price. (Seriously, if you do that, can you get in touch with us and tell us what happened? We would LOVE to know).