Food makes up a large part of our everyday lives, whether it’s dropping by the shops on the way home from work, searching for new recipes online or preparing a home cooked family meal. However, many of us are happy to sit down to a meal without thinking of the impact our food has on the environment, and whether our diet is sustainable. A recent report by WWF found that the growing, producing and importing of food in the UK is responsible for a staggering 30% of our CO₂ emissions [1]. The UK’s climate makes it necessary to import certain foods from around the world, which is causing one of the largest environmental impacts: the clearing of huge tracts of land and rainforest for cattle grazing, and for the production of commodities such as soy and palm oil. Not only does this clearing release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, it also has devastating consequences for the animals whose habitats are destroyed.

There are a number of ways that you can make your diet more sustainable, while also reducing your shopping bills, and getting to experience fresher, tastier produce, without having to make any major changes to your lifestyle:

Buy Food in Bulk

Food packaging contributes heavily to the life cycle emissions of food items, with individually packaged items also requiring more space for transportation. Buying food in bulk reduces the amount of packaging that is produced and that ends up in your shopping trolley, which in turn reduces the amount of direct packaging that ends up in landfill sites. Bulk food can also be packed more densely for transportation, reducing the amount of vehicles on our roads.

Check out some fair trade products on Energy Saving Warehouses’ shopping portal which you can buy in bulk.

Eat Seasonally

Growing fruit and vegetables out of season can require high levels of fertilisers, heating and other artificial inputs, which can be vastly reduced by eating food that is in season. As well as the environmental benefits, fresh seasonal produce tastes better and is often cheaper than buying the same produce out of season [2]. Try blackberries, courgettes and runner beans in September, or potatoes and red cabbage in November when they are at their freshest and tastiest. Buying produce in season reduces the need for importing and its accompanying environmental impacts. Websites such as Eat Seasonably provide in depth information about what to grow and buy when, in an easy to understand format, such as the Eat Seasonably Calendar [3].

Shop at Farmer’s Markets

Instead of buying all your produce at supermarkets, try visiting your local farmer’s market to see what is available there. Not only are you buying local, seasonal produce, you also cut down considerably, if not completely, on packaging. Produce will not have been transported far, and many sellers are now organic, so you don’t have to worry about the effects that pesticides and fertilisers are having on the quality of your food, and also on the ecosystem. You can often find added extras, such as cooking demonstrations and a wider variety of produce than many supermarkets have to offer.

Most farmer’s markets are held at weekends, and may be fortnightly rather than every week, so make sure to check when your local one will be there.

Pick Your Fish and Cuts of Meat Carefully

Meat is one of the most inefficiently produced food types – raising cattle and other animals requires large amount of land, water and grain. On average it takes 6kg of plant protein to produce only 1kg of meat protein [4]. Cutting down the amount of meat in your diet is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, and can also help to improve your health. Try replacing fattier cuts of meat with leaner cuts or fish, or even with vegetarian alternatives, such as Quorn or vegetables themselves. Websites such as Part-Time Carnivore provide forums for those wishing to reduce their meat intake to find like-minded people who live in the same area, and gives you statistics of how much CO₂ and land you have saved, even by having just one meat free day a week [5].

When buying fish, try to make your choice a sustainable one, by looking for Marine Stewardship Council certified seafood. The council has conducted extensive research into the the impacts on fish stocks and the environment of fishing, and aims to promote sustainability through all stages of the process.

Plan Your Portions

Food waste is a major issue in the UK – over 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink are thrown away each year. Not only does food waste have an environmental impact, it also costs households on average £680 a year [6]. By reducing the amount of food you throw away, you reduce your carbon footprint and also your shopping bills.

One way to reduce your waste is by planning your portions. By knowing what and how much you will eat over a certain time period, you can make sure that you buy enough food to create your meals without having platefuls left over. Simple tricks like keeping a shopping list in the kitchen to plan for meals or freezing leftovers can help to make your food last longer. Try using an online portion calculator such as Love Food Hate Waste to help work out how much of each food type you need for a range of different meals [7].

References

[1] WWF. Food. 2013. http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/changing_the_way_we_live/food/

[2] Eat Seasonably. What is it about? 2013. http://eatseasonably.co.uk/what-to-eat-now/what-is-this-about/

[3] Eat Seasonably. Seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar. 2013. http://eatseasonably.co.uk/what-to-eat-now/calendar/

[4] WWF. Food. 2013. http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/changing_the_way_we_live/food/

[5] Part-Time Carnivore. Part-Time Carnivore. 2013. http://www.parttimecarnivore.org/

[6] Love Food Hate Waste Scotland. Shopping List Tips. 2013. http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/can-i-have-writing

[7] Love Food Hate Waste Scotland. Food Portion Size – Portion Calculator. 2013. http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/portions/everyday

The UK population consumes over 3.1 planets worth of resources each year[1]. This overconsumption creates an uncertainty for future resource usage, as well as affecting the rate and impact of climate change. Everyone consumes differently, choosing to spend our money on material goods or holidays, but there is one part of consumption we all share, the eating of food.

Enough food is produced each year to feed Ten Billion people. Recent reports published by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering in Jan 2013[2], suggest that 30- 50% of this food is wasted due to poor infrastructure and food education.

Food Waste Facts and Figures

Last year UK households threw away 7.2 million tonnes of food, 60% of this food which could have been eaten.[3] The majority of this waste (34%[4]) comes from households, with main reasons for wastage including:

• Cooking too much
• Last minute change of evening plans
• Forgetting what food is available at home
• Wasting good food once it is past its best before date, though most food is still edible for a good few days after this date.

This waste averages out at around £120 per person per year of food waste, or just under £500 for a family of 4.

Global Impacts of food waste

Our food wastage is having an impact on our planet. Agriculture is responsible for a fifth of all global emissions, as well as 70% of yearly global fresh water usage. By wasting food, we are using valuable resources which could have been used elsewhere.

 There is an ethical standpoint surrounding the wastage of food, one that may have been drilled into you as a child,  “That food could have fed the needy in Africa”. This statement is true, by reducing our demand for food, making more available on the global market, prices will fall making food cheaper in developing countries, aiding in reducing food wastage and intensive resource use.

 Overall minimising your food waste is more important than disposing of your waste correctly.

“The environmental impact of throwing away an apple is 6 times greater than the packet it comes in”[5] (Love Food Hate Waste 2013).

If you don’t eat all the apples in a pack, buy them individually and eat them all, they may be a little more expensive, but you are reducing your foodprint [6]and showing the supermarkets that you want control over your portion sizes.

What can you do?

By changing your lifestyle slightly, you can easily reduce your food waste, saving you money as well as reducing your individual carbon footprint.

1.       Shopping Lists

 By making a simple list of the items you need for your cupboards and fridge, or to full weekly meal planning, creating a shopping list, ensures you buy the products you need and not be distracted by offers, or those sweet treats. Further minimising your foodprint[7]

 A new app for smartphones has been released from Love Food Hate Waste, which incorporates a shopping list feature, allowing the creation of lists from recipies or manually on the go. Download it from: http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/download-new-love-food-hate-waste-free-app

2.       Freeze Food

 Freezing food allows you to extend foods freshness; you can freeze food up to its use by date. Freezing things in portions allow for quick meals after a busy day at work, allowing yesterdays large curry to be saved and eaten at the end of next week, when the budget is pushed or when you want a night off from cooking.

 Freezing items like bread in portions, allows for a quick breakfast, as the bread can come straight out the freezer and into the toaster. Below is a link listing all the food items you can freeze.

 http://frostbitefood.blogspot.co.uk/p/can-i-freeze-it-to-z-guide.html

3.       Leftovers

 Love your leftovers, meat from a roast can be made into 100s of different dishes. Supermarkets have recipe cards and tips on what to do with your leftover food, and there are many articles online, with inspiration on what to do with your leftovers. Ideally you should aim to get your portion sizes correct to ensure there are no unintentional leftovers, which will not get eaten.

 The above mentioned ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ app, incorporates a handy potion size calculator for all main types of food, from pasta, meat and veg, ensuring you cook the right recommended portion size.

 4.       Read and Spread the message

Understanding where food comes from and where it goes, is a great way of increasing your environmental awareness. Broadening your knowledge by reading the above and pass the message on to family and friends, in time our efforts all add up. There are several nationwide campaigns available giving the facts on food waste and reducing your wastage.

Love  Food Hate Waste – http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Think Eat Save – http://www.thinkeatsave.org/

So next time you do your food shop, think about what is in your trolley and where it has come from. Think about the people who have grown the food, don’t bring shame on their efforts or burn the money in your pocket by purchasing it and not eating it. Reducing waste can be simple with a little forward planning and dedication, it will save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.