20% of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by agriculture and land use. 

Food and Agriculture Organization UN, 2016.

​

"We need to be able to track and monitor emissions. The tricky thing for food is that we don’t have that kind of monitoring process in place”

Dr. Brent Loken, EAT Foundation, Norway.

​

EAT-Lancet Commission Report, 2019 sets universal  targets for both a healthy and sustainable diet. 

​

Source: UN Climate Change

1. Estimate the avg emissions produced in a kilo of each food group (kg CO2e/kg): Red meat, White meat, Dairy, Cereals, Fruit, Veg, Oils, Drinks.

 

2. Then divide by the avg energy content (kCal/g) for each food group,  to give an emissions factor per Calorie (g CO2e/kCal).

​

Growing your own or buying local may reduce your carbon footprint. 

​

Source: Shrink that Footprint

Biodiversity impacts soil fertility and plant reproduction by pollinators. 

​

Pollinators are responsible for one of every three bites of food we take U.S. Agriculture Department.

​

Biodiversity and polyculture enable species to naturally adapt and evolve.

 

Monoculture introduces uniformity and facilitates mechanisation.

​

Deforestation in tropical rainforests reduce the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet.

​

​

Source: IUCN

It takes 1000 years for 1cm of topsoil to form. 

 

Globally, soils degrade at a rate of 30 football pitches of soil every minute as a result of deforestation, climate change and exploitative land use practices. 

​

Organically certified food is the best means to measure and limit the impact of farming on soil.

​

In Ireland, EU standards apply, taking two years to achieve full-organic status certified by either IOA or Organic Trust.

​

Source: Soil Association