Eat Local or Eat Smart? The Climate Dilemma on Your Plate

Food production accounts for 26%[1] of global greenhouse gas emissions, profoundly impacting our climate. Alarmingly, if current food consumption patterns persist, we could see nearly 1°C of additional global warming by 2100[2]. This environmental impact is predominantly driven by meat production. For instance, 1 kilogram (or about four pieces) of steak has a climate footprint of up to 100¹ kg CO₂ equivalents. This is a global average of the impact of cattle intended for meat production. A steak from a dairy cow in Belgium would have a lower impact. The climate impact of steak is primarily due to methane emissions from the digestive processes of cattle. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 30 times greater than CO₂. Due to methane, rice is also a high-impact food source, producing 4.5¹ kg CO₂ per kilogram. While this is considerably less than the climate footprint of meat (poultry, the meat with the lowest impact, still emits 10¹ kg CO₂ per kilogram), it underscores the substantial impact of our dietary choices.

A common recommendation to mitigate climate impact is to eat food that has been locally produced to avoid transport emissions. However, this notion needs to be revised. Although transportation contributes nearly a fifth (19%) of global food system emissions[3], what we eat is far more crucial than where it comes from. All meat types, especially beef, substantially impact climate change. Reducing meat consumption is an easy and well-known strategy to lower one's carbon footprint substantially. However, shifting to fruits and vegetables introduces the consideration of seasonality. For example, locally grown tomatoes in Belgium often come from heated greenhouses, which rely heavily on natural gas. Studies show that the energy required for heating outweighs the transport emissions from importing tomatoes from Italy or Spain[4]. Hence, choosing not to buy local produce can sometimes be more environmentally friendly. However, locally grown tomatoes in unheated tunnels have a much lower impact but are only available in the summer, making seasonal eating an essential factor in reducing carbon footprints.

While transportation emissions are significant, the type of food we consume has a more profound impact on our climate than where it comes from. Reducing meat consumption and considering the seasonality of vegetables can lead to meaningful reductions in our carbon footprint. As we navigate the complexities of climate change, making informed dietary choices is crucial. You can find a calendar for seasonal vegetables here, and make sure to check out the climate diet we presented in our book “De Klimaatschok”!

[1] https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food

[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01605-8

[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00531-w

[4] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-013-0171-8