Products of animal origin produce about twice as much CO2 as those of plant origin, contributing to global warming
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himProducts of animal origin produce about twice the CO2 emissions of those of plant origin, contributing massively to global warming
The food we eat every day has a cost that is not only economic, but also and above all environmental - in terms of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Land use, intensive agriculture, transportation of raw materials, industrial food processing processes, all of this generates about 17 billion tons of CO2 every year, according to a new study conducted by the University of Illinois. Foods of animal origin, according to the researchers, are responsible for 57% of total emissions, while those of plant origin produce only 29% of emissions.
@ Nature Food
It is not the first study that underlines how switching to a completely plant-based diet can represent a benefit for the environment, but it is certainly the most detailed and comprehensive one published on the subject so far. The researchers used data from 171 crops and 16 animal products from more than 200 countries, and cross-referenced this data with computer models to calculate the amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide each food. releases into the atmosphere - from its production to consumption. In fact, although CO2 is very important, the methane generated by rice crops and animals and nitrogen from fertilizers are 34 and 298 times more powerful, respectively, in retaining heat in the atmosphere.
(Read also: Plant-based diets are the only way to save biodiversity)
Of all the foods examined, the production of beef appears to be the main cause of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere (25% of total emissions), followed by cow's milk, pork and chicken, in that order. as far as crops are concerned, the most polluting is rice - which is also the second most polluting production ever, responsible for 12% of total CO2 emissions; after rice follow the production of wheat, sugar cane and corn.
As far as the geographical distribution of food production is concerned, Southeast Asia is the region of the world that encompasses the most polluting food production and the only one where emissions related to cultivation are higher than those related to the production of animal products, due to of rice production. Among the nations, China, India and Indonesia are the countries where the production of plant foods produces the highest emissions: in these areas, a sudden increase in the population has generated a high demand for food and has led to the conversion of natural areas into plantations. . The highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions due to food consumption were instead recorded in South America, due to the high consumption of meat (especially beef); North America and Europe follow.
The study also divided CO2 emissions according to the various moments of production and consumption of the different foods. For example, agricultural activities, such as plowing the soil or converting forests and other natural environments into pastures and arable land, alone produce 2/3 of the emissions related to food production.
Considering that the world population is increasing at a rapid pace, and that there will be an ever greater need for food and water to feed everyone, it would be good to rethink the way we eat in favor of a diet that is less polluting, more ethical and more sustainable for the planet.
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Fonte: Nature Food
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