Diet for a Warming Planet

League of Women Voters^®
of the Upper Valley

How to lower carbon footprint of food you eat.

Notes from Program of September 2008

Emily Neuman , Hanover Food CoOp Sustainability Coordinator: Presentation to the League of Women Voters of the Upper Valley [September 24, 2008] Here are my top 3 suggestions from the presentation:

Eat seasonally and locally.

When eating food from "away," pay attention both to food miles and transport method (mile-for-mile, ships emit less carbon than trucks, which emit less than planes). Also consider self-generated food miles as you travel to the store, market, or farms to shop.

Buy food, not packaging; eat real food. The carbon footprint of food packaging can easily grow to be larger than the carbon footprint of the food's production. With a focus on buying unpackaged or minimally packaged food, you're also likely to reduce consumption of "junk" foods and eat more "real" food; the energy used to produce and package junk food is pretty much a waste from start to finish.

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