How to make a more sustainable Christmas dinner?

The initiative is good, but it is not simple. Hardly to "carbon footprint" of food is indicated on the packaging, so it is not easy to find out which is the most sustainable option. An alternative is to look for foods that, in theory, are less polluting.

According to an analysis carried out by the data scientist Hannah Ritchie, Director of Research at Our World In Data (OWID), Food is responsible for between 1/4 and 1/3 of global emissionssystem. (The Globe 🚥)

Who is most responsible?

There is no doubt, the livestock It is the sector that causes the most negative environmental impacts. The average greenhouse gas emission of 1 kg of beef, generally speaking, is 8 times greater than that of pork, or 10 times greater than that of poultry meat.

When compared to a plant-based source of protein, the difference starts to be in the hundreds. This means that, by a large margin, the choice of protein component is what makes the most difference in counting the environmental impact of a meal.

Just take this list by menu (prepared with data from OWID):

High emission

• Beef (99.48 CO²/kg) or (49.74 CO²/500g portion)
• Rice (4.45 CO²/kg) or (1.78 CO²/400g portion)
• Tomatoes (2.09 CO²/kg) or (627 CO²/300g portion)
• Cheese (23.88 CO²/kg) or (9.552 CO²/400g portion)

Medium-high emission

• Pig meat (12.31 CO²/kg) or (6.155 CO²/500g portion)
• Corn (1.7 CO²/kg) or (0.68 CO²/400g portion)
• Pea (0.98 CO²/kg) or (294 CO²/300g portion)
• Grapes/berries (1.53 CO²/kg) or (612 CO²/400g portion)

Average emission

• Bird meat (9.87 CO²/kg) or (4.935 CO²/500g portion)
• Potatoes (0.46 CO²/kg) or (184 CO²/400g portion)
• Other vegetables (0.53 CO²/kg) or (159 CO²/300g portion)
• Nuts (0.43 CO²/kg) or (172 CO²/400g portion)

Low emission

• Tofu (3.16 CO²/kg) or (1.58 CO²/500g portion)
• Other roots (0.43 CO²/kg) or (172 CO²/400g portion)
• Cabbage, cauliflower, etc. (0.51 CO²/kg) or (153 CO²/300g portion)
• Citrus fruits (0.39 CO²/kg) or (156 CO²/400g portion)

Oh, the drinks toopromeThere’s the environment, you know? 🍹 Pina colada, for example, has a very high emission rate, around 6,9g of CO² per kg. The alcoholic drink with the lowest carbon footprint is beer with 0,6g CO² per kg, followed by red, white or rosé wine with 1,87g CO² per kg. Cider, a Christmas favorite, emits 1,1g of CO² per kg. (with the BBC)

The exchange of food in Christmas dinner It can be a great ally in reducing carbon emissions, as meat consumption can be reduced. Organic products can also contribute to this journey, as they are free of toxic substances and grown by small farmers. 

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