More and more people are making sure that their diet is not only healthy. The food should also cause as few climate impacts as possible. But what is the point?
For many people, their diet is a very personal issue. And yet what we eat has a global impact. Because the production of food is a driver of global warming. So what could a climate-friendly diet look like? One thing is clear: Meat usually causes significantly higher emissions than vegetable products. In addition, food from far away can cause more CO2 simply by being transported. However, experts do not always agree on the details. An overview of World Food Day on October 16.
Organic is good for the environment in many ways. However, according to nutritionist and author Malte Rubach, organic food does not necessarily protect the climate. “The productivity of organic production is not as high as in conventional production,” says Rubach. This is due to the fact that artificial fertilizers, concentrated feed and genetically engineered feed have to be avoided. “Not doing these things reduces productivity.” This results in a higher CO2 footprint per kilogram of organic food.
According to a study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Ifeu), for example, one kilogram of whole milk causes around 1.4 kilograms of CO2 on average – with the organic variant it is 1.7 kilograms. Silke Oppermann, an expert at the environmental organization WWF, believes that this is too short-sighted. Through the use of mineral oil fertilizers and pesticides in conventional areas, soil organisms would die off very quickly. “With the loss of soil organisms, the soil’s ability to store CO2 and carbon is also lost,” says the consultant for sustainable nutrition and climate protection. Soil is the second largest store of CO2 after the oceans.
Oat, soy, rice and almond drinks – there are many milk substitutes. According to a large-scale study published by the online publication “Our World in Data”, cow’s milk performs significantly worse than plant-based products in all relevant environmental aspects. The Federal Environment Agency also generally advises the consumption of plant-based alternatives. WWF expert Oppermann points out that rice and almond milk are less environmentally friendly than oat milk. “Because rice also has a relatively high carbon footprint due to the way it’s grown. And the problem with almonds is that they’re mainly grown in Spain and California, where water scarcity and drought play a role.”
Anne Klatt from the Federal Environment Agency says: “If the scarcity of water in the regions where the vegetable raw materials are grown is taken into account, cow’s milk can be more advantageous than some alternatives, for example those based on soya or almonds.” Nutritionist Rubach finds the comparison between cow’s milk and milk substitutes misleading. The latter would have significantly fewer nutrients and proteins. As a result, more of it has to be drunk, which in turn increases the CO2 footprint.
That depends very much on the manufacturing method of the individual product. In general, however, it can be said that between 4 and 13 liters of milk are needed to produce one kilogram of cheese. According to the Ifeu study, one kilogram of cheese – depending on the type – causes around 5.7 kilograms of CO2 and more. A kilogram of chicken weighs an average of 5.5 kilograms. “That’s because chickens are very productive,” says Rubach. Pork also has a lower average value of 4.6 kilograms of CO2. The situation is different with beef: the production of one kilogram of meat causes an average of 13.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
“Of all the greenhouse gases caused by our diet, drinks are in second place, right after meat and before grain and dairy products,” says Rubach. “Beverages have a comparatively small footprint per liter, but in total we drink 2.5 liters a day and that adds up.” Tap and bottled water have the lowest impact on climate, followed by bottled and prepared beverages such as coffee and tea. “With tea, for example, the biggest cause is the boiling of water, not the tea itself; with coffee, it’s the roasting,” says Rubach.
