Food and Agricultural systems account for up to 30% of every human induced global warming. Here's tips to ameliorate it!
1. Do your homework: food and drink choices to be more environmentally friendly and of course healthy! And most importantly, know what food you need to buy by listing down on a paper to prevent buying unnecessities even if it's "buy-one-get-one free". This can help to prevent overloading of your fridge and (3).
2. Eat local: You can check out how your food is produced and see how much effort they are putting in to reduce emissions. It's even smarter to buy directly from the producer! Wastes as a result of loss due to processing, storage and transportation can be reduced! Transportation via air or shipping also contribute to greenhouse gas emission accounting for 2% and 5% respectively.
3. Eat Fresh: Produce fresh and ripe contain more nutrients as compared to produce which is stored in your fridge for weeks. Storage can deteriorate quality of foods too.
4. Organic foods: depending on the way it's grown, it may be more nutritious (vitamins, minerals e.g. zinc and iron), contain pheolics (thought to help prevent diseases), lesser CO2 emission of about 26% reduction (no use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.
5. Water is precious: world uses 200 million litres water per second to grow its food. In fact, agriculture uses 70% world's water and wastes 60% of water every year! Read the WWF's report on 'Thirsty Crops' @ www.wwf.org.uk
6. Biodynamic agriculture: a sustainable way as it is self sufficient--in compost, manures and animal feeds. a higher biodiversity than convention and organic farmed soil.
7. Online Shopping: able to track your buys and how much you buy. It saves on the emission by cars or transportation to shop for foods, though walking is also reasonably great as it exercises your body.
8. Reduce the plastic bags: 400-1000yrs to break down a bag, and what about paper bags? 4 to 6 times energy to produce them. That's why use REUSABLE fairtrade or organic cotton bag. (wash it if it's dirty), and even baskets, trolley, etc.
9. Go Unpackaged!: Stores in UK-Unpackaged-has been selling hundreds of loose products! Herbs, spices, eggs, biscuits, bread, etc--you can bring your own container then. Remember local wet market also have loose products =D
10. Create a compost: around 30% of household waste could be composted and avoided in the landfill. Around 6 months' time, natural fertilisers, mulch and soil conditioner can be obtained. Tips @ www.recyclenow.com or www.howtocompost.org
Hope you have a have a more vivid mind for selection of foods. Let's stay e-c-o.
