Changing the lasagna from meat to vegetarian is not just healthier for you — It's also healthier for the planet. And a new study shows how much each change, like swapping beef for chicken in a stew, saves greenhouse gas emissions.
Change food and drink purchases to very similar but more environmentally friendly alternatives could cut greenhouse gas emissions from household groceries by nearly a quarter, research from the George Institute for Global Health and Imperial College London shows in a new study.
The study released Tuesday aims to show that consumers don't have to make drastic changes, like now give up meat — to make smarter, climate-aware decisions that add up to have an impact on carbon reduction, lead author Allison Gaines told CBS News.
“But while consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the food system and are willing to make more sustainable food choices, they lack reliable information to identify the most environmentally friendly choices,” said Gaines, who is a doctor in public health.
The study recommends that packaged foods be labeled with carbon emissions so that climate conscious consumers can make informed decisions. Around a third of carbon emissions are currently attributed to the food and agriculture sector.
The researchers calculated the projected emissions from the annual grocery purchases of 7,000 Australian households using information from FoodSwitch, an app from The George Institute where users can scan a food's barcode and see other similar and healthier options .
Now, but only in Australia, EcoSwitch aims to add one more component for customers to consider: the product's carbon footprint. The data collected in the study appears in the app where customers can scan a product and see similar ones with a lower carbon footprint.
Gaines said previous studies looked at dietary patterns, while his research aims to “look at food the way consumers look at it in the supermarket.” The study offered two types of exchanges: those that can be found on the same shelf versus exchanges that can be found in a different aisle. Such similar swaps can lead to a 26% reduction in emissions in Australia, equivalent to taking 1.9 million cars off the road, the study found.
For example, a chocolate chip brioche roll might have a “very similar switch” to a dinner roll or a “less similar switch” to a sourdough bread.
With drinks, a sugar-free vanilla cola can be swapped out for a “very similar” raspberry soda or a “less similar” ginger lemon kombucha.
The switches that are better for the environment often correspond with the ones that are better for your health, Gaines said.
The main contributors to carbon emissions from food products were meat and meat productswith 49%, followed by dairy and non-alcoholic beverages.
“The emissions trend around the world seems to be getting worse,” Gaines said. “Empowering people with this bottom-up information often has a top-down impact as well.”
