How To Eat Better For The Planet

You’re environmentally conscious—and hungry. Here are answers to all your eco-friendly food questions

- Julia Moskin, Brad Plumer, Rebecca Lieberman and Eden Weingart

Does what I eat have an effect on climate change?

Yes. The world’s food system is responsible for about one quarter of the planet-warming greenhouse gases that humans generate each year. That includes raising and harvesting all the plants, animals and animal products we eat, as well as processing, packaging and shipping food to markets all over the world.

How exactly does food contribute to global warming?

When forests are cleared to make room for farms and livestock, large stores of carbon are released into the atmosphere, which heats up the planet. Also, fossil fuels are used to operate farm machinery, make fertilizer and ship food around the globe, all of which generate emissions.

Which foods have the largest impact?

In general, beef and lamb have the biggest climate footprint per gram of protein—livestock accounts for roughly the same amount of emissions as all the cars, trucks, airplanes and ships in the world today—while plant-based foods like beans, pulses, grains and soy tend to have the smallest effect. Pork, chicken, eggs and mollusks such as clams, oysters and scallops are somewhere in the middle.

These are only averages. Beef raised in the United States produces generally fewer emissions than beef raised in Brazil or Argentina. And certain cheeses can have a larger greenhouse gas impact than a lamb chop.

Is there a simple food choice I can make that would reduce my climate footprint?