The ecology of food

by the Green Team of the PPA

Food habits and the environment

Food is very often a topic of discussion among people. What is your favorite food? What did you have for lunch today? Are you eating enough or not enough? Should you change what you eat?

Despite its prominence in natural conversation, some critical questions are dramatically underrepresented: where is your food coming from? How much land is used to produce the steak you are eating? How much water for a kilogram of cheese?

These questions (among others) form the core of the ecology of food.  We of the Green Team, in collaboration with the OASE, would like to share with you some useful information to help you get a better understanding of the impact of your food habits. We will cover four aspects of the life cycle of food that play a major role in its ecological footprint:

• Food origin
• Food CO₂ footprint and resource usage
• Food waste
• Multiple-use vs. single-use supplies

Each of these determines the final impact on the environment of your eating habits, thus they represent a great place to start making changes to reduce your ecological footprint!