Are my food habits killing the planet?

We need to talk about eco-anxiety

Author: Bella Zanin
Editors: Raquel Frescia, Sophie Palmer

My Story

My name is Bella Zanin, age 24, and I’m based in the South of England. I am - and always have been - a foodie, largely due to my coming from a foodie family. We constantly have recipe books and food magazines lying around the kitchen. The evening meal is a time when we all sit down together and catch up.  Family holidays are largely organised around where, when and what we’re going to eat.

And I know we’re not the only ones. For many people, food is more than just fuel. It’s wrapped up in culture, identity, health, relationships, hobbies and livelihoods. Having recently googled “ways to reduce my carbon footprint,” changing my diet was recommended in each of the articles I came across. But it is a contentious topic — more than once, I’ve witnessed a light-hearted chat about vegetarianism escalate into a full-blown argument. Why is the idea of shifting our food habits so scary? And how much of a difference will it make anyway?   

Food Production and Carbon Emissions

If you’re not sure what food has to do with saving the planet, here’s a quick lowdown. Food production is responsible for around 25% of all global emissions, and roughly half of those come from animal agriculture. 

This 25% includes the carbon dioxide released by trees when taken down to grow crops; factories processing ingredients and making packaging; and vehicles transporting products. 

It also includes nitrous oxide released from fertilisers, as well as methane released from rice paddies,  burping cows, and food rotting in landfill sites. In fact, if food waste was a country, it would be the world’s third-largest emitter. 

As you can see, the science is pretty clear on where the problems are. So why hasn’t more changed? 

Disconnection with the Source

In the Western world, we are so detached from the origin of our food. When the fires were - and still are - raging in the Amazon Rainforest, the media was keen to publicise the inferno. But it failed to mention the cause of the blaze. Farmers must intentionally start forest fires in order to clear wide swathes of trees and make space for cattle fields and soy plantations. Indigenous land - and lives - is being lost to feed us. Did you know that 90% of the soy produced in the Amazon rainforest is fed to the livestock?

I’m 24, and I’ve only realised in the last year or two the extent of the planetary crisis we’re facing. I  am one of the lucky ones. In the South of England, where I live, the impacts of climate change haven’t started to take hold yet. Our homes haven't been burned by wildfires; our annual harvest hasn't been devastated by droughts. 

And yet, I have this increasing sense of anger, fear and sadness at what we humans are doing to our planet. It’s not a problem that can be fixed by a single person or a single solution, but for me, food seemed like a good place to start. 

Starting Small

I’ve always tried to minimise food waste. For starters, it’s cheaper. On top of that, I spent about five years working as a waitress while studying. The amount of food I had to throw away daily made me angry – it seemed so illogical that perfectly edible products were being chucked in the bin, especially while there were people living in the same country who couldn’t afford to eat. As Jamie Crummie states in episode eight of the Force of Nature Podcast, Season Two: "Fighting food waste is the no.1 most impactful, the simplest solution that we as individuals, as leaders, as businesses, can do to reverse the effects of climate change." 

But animal products, air miles and packaging were three areas of my diet where there was definite room for improvement. 

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to sustainable food. Should I buy seasonal vegetables although they’re wrapped in plastic? Should I buy plant-based alternatives although they're not local? 

Sometimes it feels as if you need an encyclopaedic knowledge of farming practices and a  mathematics degree to work out how ‘green’ a food product is. (If like me, you quite enjoy geeking  out about carbon footprints, Mike Berners-Lee’s book 'How Bad Are Bananas?' is packed full of  handy, sometimes shocking, info.) 

The first time I cooked tofu, I hated it. You can imagine my disappointment. Actually, I’ve tried several tofu recipes since, and I still hate it - and that’s ok. Once I stopped worrying about getting everything right, I enjoyed the learning process, and shifting my diet became an opportunity to be curious rather than a disruption to my lifestyle. 

How Can I Be the Change?

Food can be powerful because it’s a way to push for changes bigger than ourselves. Our eating habits intersect with many other areas of our lives. Eating is often an experience we share with others: so the changes you make in your diet can spark conversation and might inspire others to make their own changes. 

Our food choices also send food producers and suppliers a message about the sorts of products people want to buy. If more consumers buy plant-based burgers, supermarkets will provide more plant-based burgers, and the Government might put more funding into research that’s developing plant-based foods. As a result, they get tastier and cheaper. 

This positive cycle is in motion already. Over the past year, I have watched the ‘meat alternatives’  section in my local supermarket grow visibly larger. (The UK has been in lockdown for the majority  of the year, so going to the supermarket has been one of the most exciting activities on offer.) 

Last, but definitely not least, choosing to eat more sustainably is an important way to preserve your own mental health. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the face of the climate crisis, here is a way you can regain some sense of agency. In my experience, this is a vital part of staying positive and motivated.

You can listen to Episode Eight, Season Two, of the Force of Nature podcast here.