Can I really help the climate crisis with my food choices?

Addressing climate change is a monumental task, and it might seem pointless for an individual to change their behavior when the largest polluters (animal agriculture and oil companies), aren’t doing anything to reduce the impacts of their industry. It’s true that the term “carbon footprint” was invented by BP to shift the blame of climate change directly to individuals(1). Marketing teams for BP made individuals think that if they drove their cars less or switched to energy saving light bulbs, that the climate crisis could be solved. Most importantly, it shifted the blame to individuals, instead of resting it with the big oil companies we know are the big carbon emitters.

Traditional animal agriculture is a large contributor to climate change as well. Animal agriculture is a leading cause of deforestation, and when trees are cut down to make room for growing food for livestock, all of the carbon trapped in those trees is released into the atmosphere. Animal agriculture is also a leading emitter of methane and nitrous oxide - primarily from cow burps and manure. Methane has about 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere(2). All of these factors make animal agriculture responsible for 11-20% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Consider that animal agriculture takes up 83% of global agriculture land, contributes to 56% of food emissions, but only makes up about 18% of the caloric supply(2).

At this point, you may be wondering how you can make a difference as an individual. It’s true that your choices alone won’t change the system, but you can make a huge impact by talking to your friends, family, and elected officials about the impacts of animal agriculture on the climate. According to the NRDC, “the main reason elected officials do anything difficult is because their constituents make them”. The more you spread the word about the harms of animal agriculture, the more elected officials and even food companies will change their behavior(3). Consider the plant-based meat industry, which can largely contribute its growth to health- and climate-conscious consumers(4). The more individuals understand about their food and advocate for the world they want to see, the larger impact we can all make on creating a sustainable and just food system.  

References:

(1) https://www.clf.org/blog/the-truth-about-carbon-footprints/#:~:text=The%20idea%20of%20a%20%E2%80%9Ccarbon,as%20they're%20better%20known.

(2) https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-opportunity-climate-fight#:~:text=Methane%20is%20a%20potent%20greenhouse,warming%20in%20the%20near%20term.

(3) https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming

(4) https://www.postharvest.com/blog/the-rise-of-plant-based-meat-alternatives#:~:text=As%20individuals%20become%20more%20health,demand%20for%20plant%2Dbased%20alternatives