Eating as an Act of Love

Part 1: Decreasing food waste

Most of us try to eat healthy foods—not too many sweets or highly processed foods, and plenty of fruits and vegetables—but few of us think of eating as a spiritual practice.

Poor agricultural and grazing methods have contributed to habitat loss and species extinction, and negatively impacted water resources. Currently, agriculture is causing about a quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions, and increased global temperatures are already causing food insecurity round the world. The good news is that improved technologies and modern farming and grazing strategies not only reduce agriculture’s environmental damage and mitigate climate change, but also help regenerate degraded land. Is there anything we as individuals can do to help in this effort? Yes, there is!

Individuals and families can make a difference in efforts to decrease food shortages, reduce environmental damage, and lessen global warming, simply by changing how we eat. As much as half of all the food produced in the world is never eaten. Some is lost in transport to consumers, but much of the food we grow is wasted. Wasted food means lost resources and unnecessary emissions of greenhouse gasses. Climate and environmental scientist Jonathan Foley list some ways to avoid food waste.1

Decreasing Food Waste

  • Serve smaller portions of food at meals. Save and eat leftovers.
  • Avoid wasting meat and dairy in particular (raising cattle is resource-expensive and a major contributor to greenhouse gas emission).
  • Don’t throw away food based on the sell-by date (they are manufacturer suggestions for peak freshness and have little to do with safety).
  • Shop wisely by planning meals (the average American households spend about $2,000 a year for food they throw away).
  • Encourage restaurants and caterers to donate leftovers, when possible, to food banks.
  • Compost food waste (by establishing a backyard compost pile, or by lobbying for curbside collection of food scraps for community wide composting). Composting can build soil and reduce methane emissions.
  • Choose locally grown foods when available.

1 Jonathan Foley. Apr 21, 2020. “Your Personal Action Guide for the Environment”
(https://globalecoguy.org/a-personal-action-guide-for-the-environment-20d70fcdd840; accessed September 14, 2022)

Download the PDF: Eating as an Act of Love – Part 1: Decreasing Food Waste (PDF)

Part 2: Changing our diet

Most of us try to eat healthy foods—not too many sweets or highly processed foods, and plenty of fruits and vegetables—but few of us think of eating as a spiritual practice.

Poor agricultural and grazing methods have contributed to habitat loss and species extinction, and negatively impacted water resources. Currently, agriculture is causing about a quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions, and increased global temperatures are already causing food insecurity around the world.. The good news is that improved technologies and modern farming and grazing strategies not only reduce agriculture’s environmental damage and mitigate climate change, but also help regenerate degraded land. Is there anything we as individuals can do to help in this effort? Yes, there is!

Individuals and families can make a difference in efforts to decrease food shortages, reduce environmental damage, and lessen global warming, simply by changing what we eat. Changing our diets can improve our environment and lessen global warming. Climate and environmental scientist Jonathan Foley list some ways that eating differently can reduce our carbon footprints.1

Changing our Diets

  • Make vegetables a bigger part of your diet. (Eating less meat and dairy can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About 75% of farmland worldwide goes to raising livestock and the crops that feed livestock. Raising cattle accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions).
  • Replace red meat with white meat (the carbon footprint for beef is five times higher than for chicken).
  • Consider buying grass-fed beef. (Grass-fed beef is most often raise on arid lands that are not suitable for growing other foods. Raising grass-fed beef is generally better for wildlife and watersheds).
  • Support Sustainable Farms. (More and more farms are seeking Food Alliance Certification. The Food Alliance label on food indicates environmentally sustainable farming practices).
  • Choose fish wisely. (Over 70% of global fisheries are overfished and no longer sustainable. The Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch Check (www.seafoodwatch.org) discusses what are the most sustainable fish on the markets).

1 Jonathan Foley. Apr 21, 2020. “Your Personal Action Guide for the Environment”
(https://globalecoguy.org/a-personal-action-guide-for-the-environment-20d70fcdd840; accessed September 14, 2022)

Download the PDF: Eating as an Act of Love – Part 2: Changing Our Diet (PDF)