What Should We Eat?

WHAT SHOULD WE EAT?
Are we killing the environment or is it killing us? When we look at what we eat
and how we grow it, we find extensive evidence for damage by our food to our
environment.
Everything which is present on our plates, which is either obtained through

natural means or by several artificial processes directly or indirectly affects our
environment. The production of food till its consumption is responsible to changes
in our environment.
PRODUCTION OF FOOD:
For the production of meat, to meet the feeding demands of the growing
population, chickens are being injected in the poultry farm with steroids that
affects the human metabolism as well as increases the rate of reproductive
disabilities. Overfishing and hunting of endangered animals for food has led to
the destruction of ecology and has disrupted the migration and hibernation of
animals with an extinction of 23% species.
“It takes about 50 onions to produce a kilogram of greenhouse gas, but

only 44 grams of beef to produce the same amount.”
Similarly large areas are required for the growth of the crops and synthetic
fertilizers and pesticides are used for high yield that has resulted in land
degradation along with eutrophication. The long term effects of monoculture
growth and deforestation is global warming, loss of bio diversity, depletion of soil
nutrients and the contamination of the atmosphere due to greenhouse gases
which is due to the 9% emissions of CO2 and methane from meat.
Currently, the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, where no fish or other
animals can live, has grown to 8,543 square miles, the size of New Jersey.
This is due to chemicals in the Mississippi River, particularly fertilizers, as
it flows into the Gulf.
PROCESSING OF FOOD:
The processed food is responsible for almost a third of our global carbon
footprints. The harmful Xenobiotics which are used in the packaging are toxic for
human body and the plastic packaging of several items has clogged a lot of
sewerage pipes which as a whole has caused land and water pollution. 19% of
electrical energy is consumed which is not sustainable development and the
processing plants further contributes to the air pollution by the emissions of
harmful gases. Therefore, the processing of food causes acid rain, climatic
changes and respiratory diseases.
DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION OF FOOD:
The transportation of food to the retailers and the consumers on average has
improper storage facility which makes the food stale during its distribution which
is hazardous to health. More fossil fuels are used for the transportation that
adversely affects the non-renewable resources. Shipping our food over long
distances and processing it not only contributes to air and water pollution, but
depletes the food of its nutrients. Ecologically speaking, we are squandering the
nutrients taken from the soil.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT:
The threat to environment has increased alarmingly over the years. We all owe a
duty and responsibility to make our Earth a cleaner and safer place to live in for
ourselves as well as for our next generations. But by indiscriminate use of the
environmental resources, we have disturbed the ecological balance. It is
imperative for us to live in harmony with the environment rather than
experimenting with it and over-exploiting it. We should remember that our actions
and activities directly and indirectly impact the whole ecosystem.
The pyramid of life is on very shaky ground. Experts say that proper handling of
waste materials, such as reusing or disposing of them properly, should constitute
an important part of the our efforts to preserve energy and protect the
environment.
Therefore, in order to overcome the negative effects of how our food is affecting
the environment we should eat lower on the food chain with an organic, plant-
based diet and reduce or eliminate consumption of endangered and factory-
farmed fish and seafood. There should be a zero tolerance policy towards
deforestation. Vertical farming should be encouraged which requires less arable
land and helps in sustaining the environment. Local produce tends to be fresher,
as it didn’t have to travel far to get to your table. The fresher the produce, the
more nutrients will still be intact. Buying locally and seasonally cuts down on
shipping costs, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. The farther the foods
travel from other regions or countries, the higher the environmental costs.
Decreased consumption of meat could have a major impact on water usage.
According to Arlin Wasserman, founder of food consultancy Changing Tastes,
“Americans currently get about 15% of their protein from plant-based

sources. Shifting it to 25% could result in enough water savings to provide
two-thirds of California’s water supply.”
In the end it is concluded that we should rely on an environmental friendly diet

and by decreasing our carbon footprints we can reduce our waistlines too.

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WHAT SHOULD WE EAT?

Everything which is present on our plates, which is either obtained through

“It takes about 50 onions to produce a kilogram of greenhouse gas, but

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT:

According to Arlin Wasserman, founder of food consultancy Changing Tastes,

“Americans currently get about 15% of their protein from plant-based

In the end it is concluded that we should rely on an environmental friendly diet

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