What we eat has a big effect on climate change, especially protein.
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Livestock farming in particular accounts for 14.5% of human-made greenhouse emissions, according to Greenpeace, and we should avoid it as much as possible.
What are the best options available to us?
AFP
Becoming a vegetarian would reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by food by about 30%. And it could go up to 50% by going vegan, according to the New York Times.
The ecological advantage of nuts, legumes and tofu means that substitutes for animal products, such as nut cheese, are almost always less polluting.
AFP
Eggs are among the best eco-friendly sources of protein you can eat, producing 2.1 kilos of CO2 for every 50 grams of protein.
The chicken does not run far behind with 2.9 kilos of CO2. That said, industrial production poses other concerns, especially in relation to animal welfare, according to the New York Times.
AFP
Fish, especially if it’s wild, has a good ecological footprint, at least in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
In return, ocean ecosystems around the world are in danger due to overfishing.
To eat more fish, it will therefore be necessary to turn to the fish farming.
Those who can afford it can also subsist on oysters and other molluscs.
AFP
Seeing cheese so low on this list hurts.
And yet, some cheeses would produce up to half more GHGs than the equivalent in pork and poultry meat.
This is mainly due to the methane emitted by cattle, as well as the water needed to feed their pastures.
AGNÈS CHAPSAL/24 HOURS/QMI AGENCY
The fact is that producing meat requires more space, energy and water than producing the vegetable equivalent. Beef can produce up to 17.7 kilograms of GHGs for every 50 grams of protein.
A 200 gram steak will therefore produce more than 70 kilos of GHGs.
Several studies, cited by the New York Times, nevertheless indicate that meat production should not be abandoned everywhere: cows graze in many places where vegetables do not grow.