As Earth Week highlights the importance of individual actions in addressing climate change, a new report from Project Drawdown suggests that reducing food waste and eating a plant-rich diet can have a substantial impact.
The analysis found that these two actions tied for the No. 1 spot in minimizing carbon footprint, with putting solar panels on one's roof ranking third.
Food selection is a low-overhead choice that can be made daily, making it more flexible than other high-impact actions like buying an electric vehicle or making energy-efficient home renovations.
A plant-rich diet has been shown to have a significant impact on the environment, with meat and dairy production being inefficient ways to produce food. Meat companies must feed animals a lot of calories to produce just one calorie of edible meat, dairy, or eggs.
Animal agriculture is also a leading driver of climate change, accounting for 14.5% to 19% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, plant-based protein sources have much lower carbon footprints than beef, pork, and chicken.
A survey of agricultural and environmental scientists found that reducing meat and dairy consumption was the most effective way to reduce agricultural climate emissions.
Embracing a plant-rich diet is also better for one's health and helps reduce animal suffering in factory farms. While governments and corporations must also take action, individual choices can make a difference, starting with what we eat.
Resources are available to help get started on eating less meat and more plant-based foods, including Meat/Less, Vox's practical guide.