By learning which foods have the largest and smallest carbon footprints, businesses can help reduce individual carbon footprints, and help to educate wider consumers who come into contact with their brands. BM will be launching this initiative with extensive chef training and roadshows to educate and inform customers about how to eat with a lower impact.
A carbon footprint refers to the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) that something creates, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide. These gases can trap heat in the atmosphere, which causes global warming.
Statistics show that beef and animal products such as dairy generate the largest amount of food-related GHG. Lamb is also believed to have a large footprint. Foods with the lowest GHG emissions are plants and vegetables but how these crops are produced can create a huge variation in their carbon footprint.
Lin Dickens, marketing director, BM, said, “We know that people want to make both dietary changes to improve their health, and do what they can to help tackle climate change. Our Eat with the Earth in Mind initiative absolutely addresses these priorities and I am really looking forward to rolling out the exciting customer engagement communications to support Kevin and the rest of BM.”
Researchers from Oxford University found swapping just one red meat meal for a plant-based dinner every week could cut the UK’s carbon footprint by 50 million tonnes.
A 2018 study by the University of Edinburgh found over 50 million tonnes of misshapen fruit and vegetables are thrown away in the UK and Europe every year – the climate change impact is equivalent to the emissions of almost 400,000 cars.