Food Sustainability should be an important part of determining how you shop. There are so many food industries that can negatively impact the planet and your community. By limiting purchases from industries, you are essentially voting with your money and supporting more sustainable and low environmental impact foods or companies. Reducing the amount of food waste you produce or is in the food chain is also an important part of reducing the negative impact on the planet.

Here are some of the top industries to limit purchases from to help improve the environment and decrease your diet’s carbon footprint.

Livestock

By reducing your intake of animal products like dairy, meat, and eggs, you can have a huge impact on the environment. Animal foods impact the environment at many different levels. So much land or rainforest is cleared for animal grazing or growing food to feed livestock. The amount of water needed to grow food for animals and for the animals themselves, as well as polluted run-off, all have a consequential environmental impact. The greenhouse gasses are produced at many stages, by the animals and farming, as well as food production, sales, and food waste.

Palm Oil

Whenever you read food labels, start checking to see how many foods contain palm oil. You will find that many foods contain palm oil from your vegetable oil to frozen pizzas, coffee creamers, and margarine. Even many beauty products and home items like candles contain palm oil. However, the way palm oil is harvested has a significant negative impact on the planet. Rainforests are frequently being destroyed to make room for more palm tree farms. Losing these important biodiverse areas results in losing important plants and animals that are essential for healthy ecosystems and the planet. It also impacts the air quality. Try purchasing products that mention they are palm oil-free.

Rice

Rice is grown in a way that ends up producing huge amounts of methane gas! It is an important part of many cultures and one of the most produced staple foods in the world. However, as the world continues to grow, so does the demand for rice and the negative consequences. Clearing land for rice fields also impacts the biodiversity of plants and animals and the greenhouse gasses produced are impacting global warming.

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