Food production has one of the largest impacts on the environment. From the clearing of native greenery for animal husbandry to fertilizer runoff from agriculture, food producers need to work on extremely large scales to supply the demand of the world’s approximately 7 billion people.
Needless to say, waste accompanies every production process. Reducing food wastage is the least we can do to make our eating habits more environmentally friendly. There are also other ways to reduce the impact food production has on the environment.
For example, consider the act of eating out. Do you drive around to see which restaurant has the longest queue or the most crowded premises? Rather than wasting fuel in this manner, park and walk to carry out the survey instead. Less carbon will be emitted, and you won’t have to refuel as soon. An added bonus is that the stroll constitutes light exercise. If the weather doesn’t permit this, look up eateries online.
For those who are more methodical, going online to seek out places to eat can also enable you to determine whether the restaurant utilizes locally produced ingredients and/or products, or items that are in season. These ingredients don’t have to travel a great distance to get to your plate, which means that your dinner would have a smaller carbon footprint than one where the wine was flown in from Chile. If it’s organically grown/farmed or fair trade, even better.
Ordering more than you can eat is a definite no-no, but sometimes, portions are just too big to finish. In such cases, the sensible thing to do is to have the extras packed. In addition to ensuring food isn’t wasted, bolder diners could bring their own reusable containers to avoid the ubiquitous styrofoam packs from being used. This requires some diligence, as you would need to have a container in your handbag, carry-on, or your car.
If taking away is inconvenient, consider sharing the meal with your dining companion, or ordering sides instead of a main meal. Doing so ensures that you’ll come away from the table feeling full, but not stuffed, and without wasting anything.
