Food and Climate Change In Canada

Food choices can seem small, but when made mindfully they can have a huge impact on the planet. By asking questions and explaining your preferences, you can empower yourself to make better choices for the environment.

Questions to ask when making food choices:

• How low on the food chain is this?

• How much energy goes into producing it?

• Is it grown organically?

• How far did it travel to get to my table?

There are a lot of factors to consider when taking into account the impact of food on climate change in Canada. To break it down, here are some of the main things about our food choices that are linked to climate change.

Meat and dairy production 

• Account for 83% of all agricultural land use

• Take up 30% of the planet’s land surface and 

• Responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide

• Takes about five to seven kilograms of grain to produce one kilogram of beef

• Takes energy and water to produce, process and transport

Chemical agriculture

• Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are often made from fossil fuels

• Manufacturing and transporting them uses energy and produces greenhouse gases

• Studies show that chemical farming uses more energy per unit of production than organic farming

• Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in soils produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas about 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere

Food waste

• Close to half of all food produced worldwide is wasted after production, discarded in Processing, transport, supermarkets and kitchens

• When people throw food out, all the resources to grow, ship, package and produce it are wasted too, including massive amounts of water.

• About 20% of Canada’s methane emissions come from landfills

10 tips to mitigate the impact of your food choices on climate change:

1. Go meat-free one day a week

2. Research vegetarian and vegan recipes

3. Eat at vegetarian and vegan restaurants and choose meatless options at other restaurants

4. Support local, organic farmers

5. Request organic produce at grocery stores and restaurants

6. Grow your own produce

7. Buy only what you need and eat everything you buy

8. Find creative uses for food scraps

9. Start a food-sharing club

10. Feed your pets sustainably

Check out FoodPrint to learn more about making food choices that are less harmful to the environment, animals and people. Explore Easy Platter’s recipes and have control over exactly what goes into your meals.