Our World in Data – Environmental Impacts of Food Production – Ensuring everyone has access to a nutritious diet sustainably is one of the most significant challenges we face. On this page, you can find the data, visualizations, and writing relating to the environmental impacts of food.

BBC Earth – How can changing your food shop help biodiversity? – The same foods are repeatedly blamed for a decline in biodiversity, but should you remove them from your shopping basket altogether? And if so, is that really enough to solve the problem?

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – Eating for the Environment – A plant-based diet can have a significant positive impact on the environment and your health.

Science Magazine (February 2019) – Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers [Research Paper] – Food’s environmental impacts are created by millions of diverse producers.To identify solutions that are effective under this heterogeneity, we consolidated data covering five environmental indicators; 38,700 farms; and 1600 processors, packaging types, and retailers. Impact can vary 50-fold among producers of the same product, creating substantial mitigation opportunities.

Our World in Data – Food Choice vs Eating Local – You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local. “Eat local” is a common recommendation to reduce the carbon footprint of your diet. How does the impact of what you eat compare to where it’s come from?

CarbonBrief  (2022.06.20) – ‘Food miles’ have larger climate impact than thought, study suggests

Carbon Footprint on food stuff interactive

Water Footprint on food stuff

Food Carbon Emission Calculator 

National Geographic – Eating Water Up: The Water “Footprint” of Food  

Food Product Labelling in Canada

Canada Organic [Canadian Food Inspection Agency] – These products meet the Canadian standard for organic production from growing to marketing, and they have to contain at least 95% organic ingredients. No GMOs are allowed to use this label.

Marine Stewardship Council Certification – These products come from fisheries certified for having met the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards for sustainable fishing.

Fairtrade Canada – These products are certified to be produced in socially and economically fair circumstances, and in an environmentally responsible manner.

Ethical Consumer (UK) – Food Labelling : Many food packets have labels on them to show you the ethics or production values of the product. But how do you know what the different labels mean, and which ones are the best to look for? This article looks at some of the ethical food labels to look for with vegan, fair trade, organic and palm oil free shopping in mind.

CBC Marketplace – An Investigation: The Secret Sources of Palm Oil (March 2023)

“We reveal why palm oil is so controversial and how it could be hiding in your everyday products.”

Trying to avoid palm oil in the products you buy? It could be harder than you think (CBC News, 2023.03.03): “Palm oil is ecologically problematic and has been linked by the World Wildlife Fund, among several others, to deforestation and other environmental abuses. …But Canada’s labelling laws are anything but clear, so finding out what’s in some of your favourite products isn’t easy.”

Ethical Consumer – Palm Oil and Consumers

What are the serious issues with palm oil? Should we boycott palm oil?

Ever since palm oil was identified as a problem ingredient nearly 20 years ago, Ethical Consumer has been following the story and trying to work out the best way for consumers to respond. Voices expressing concern about the damage it is causing – to forests, climate, people and endangered species – are getting louder as the crisis in the sector deepens.

Marine Conservation Society – The Good Fish Guide: The impact of unsustainable seafood on our ocean is frightening. The good news is, you can do something about it. The Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide is here to help you make ocean-friendly choices.

• • How to use the Good Fish Guide: What to ask when buying seafood? Good Fish Guide seafood ratings are based on three key things: what it is, where it was caught or farmed, and how.
  • Explore the ratings in this Good Fish Guide Rating to discover whether your seafood choices are affecting the environment.
  • Buying seafood – There’s a lot to think about when you’re at the supermarket or fishmonger. Discover what labels to look out for, what questions to ask and why every purchase makes a difference.

SeaChoice – a Canadian NGO engages with eco-label initiatives to improve labelling standards and ensure certifications remain credible.

Made in Canada – Food Waste Statistics In Canada : “Preventing food waste is one of the easiest and most powerful actions an individual consumer can take to lower their carbon footprint. Wasting less food reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves natural resources. Reducing food waste also saves money and yet, food waste is still a pressing problem not just in Canada, but around the Western countries of the world.”

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story (74-minutes documentary film) : We all love food. As a society, we devour countless cooking shows, culinary magazines and foodie blogs. So how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50% of it in the trash?

CarbonBrief – Food waste makes up ‘half’ of global food system emissions (2023.03.13)

David Suzuki Foundation – Help end food waste : You can make a measurable, meaningful difference. By taking the time to plan better and sharpen food storage skills, you can eliminate your food waste.

BBC Future – How cutting your food waste can help the climate? : All food generates greenhouse gases to reach our plates, but when nearly a third of it is thrown away or wasted, does that mean we could be doing more to protect the climate? (from BBC’sSmart Guide to Climate Change)

Ethical Consumer – 10 Steps to to reducing food waste : Food accounts for 26% of our total consumer emissions. Reducing waste is therefore a great step towards cutting our footprint.

footprintr.me (by Climate Stewards, an A Rocha organization) – An easy-to-use carbon footprint calculator for individuals and families

David Suzuki Foundation

How to reduce and eliminate fossil fuel use at home? – “When it comes to green home improvements, many think first and foremost about saving energy. And while it’s important to do things like dry laundry on a clothesline and choose energy-efficient appliances, to make homes really climate-friendly, we need to focus on getting fossil fuels out of them.”

How to make your home more energy efficient? – “The most important thing you can do to make your home more climate-friendly is to get fossil fuels out of it. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we need to swap those for clean electricity. Simply put, energy efficiency means using less to perform the same task or produce the same result.”

BBC Future – How to cut carbon out of your heating? : how can the environmental cost of heating our homes be reduced? (from BBC’s Smart Guide to Climate Change)

David Suzuki Foundation – Get a heat pump. Save money, help the climate! : “Yes, they work in the winter. Yes, they are super energy efficient. And yes they heat and cool spaces really well. They also save you money in the long run.”

BBC Future – Why your internet habits are not as clean as you think? : “The internet allows us to send messages, share pictures, download music and stream videos at a touch of a button, but our online habits have a surprising impact on the environment.” (from BBC’s Smart Guide to Climate Change)

David Suzuki Foundation – How to reduce your digital carbon footprint? – “Your digital carbon footprint is the total carbon emissions generated by your online activities — from streaming videos, playing games and scrolling on social media to downloading files, attending remote meetings and sending emails.

The internet has transformed nearly every aspect of human life, reshaping the world in profound and multifaceted ways. It’s fundamentally reshaped society — connecting people, empowering social and environmental movements and driving innovation across nearly all sectors of the global economy. But as reliance on digital technologies grows, so does the associated energy consumption. This surge in energy demand contributes to carbon emissions and climate change, increases resource depletion and worsens environmental degradation.”

Pocket Change Project is a Toronto-based community initiative harnessing the power of community to transform homes and neighborhoods for a greener future. They offer retrofit advice, training and facilitation.

In the news: 

• Agents of change: A small neighbourhood in Toronto has built a program to help residents reduce their household emissions. (2023.01.16 | CBC News – Interactive)
• Why a neighbourhood group is retrofitting single family homes in Toronto (2023.01.16 | CBC News)

A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand – Rich Living: Transport 

Ethical Consumer (UK) – Transport – Travel: “From car companies cheating emission tests to outdoor gear companies using toxic chemicals, this page includes a various shopping guides highlighting a number of ethical issues in the transport sector. The site also provide practical advice on greener travel options. With the rise of the electric car and greater investment in cycling infrastructure there has never been a better time to re-assess how you get around.”

David Suzuki Foundation – How to green your commute

BBC Future – How our daily travel harms the planet? : “Private transport is one of the world’s biggest sources of greenhouse gases, with emissions rising every year. In our car dominated cities, can we cut down the carbon footprint of our daily commute?” (from BBC’s Smart Guide to Climate Change)

David Suzuki Foundation – Eight common questions about electric vehicles

David Suzuki Foundation – Air travel and climate change

BBC Future – Should we give up flying for the sake of the climate? (from BBC’s Smart Guide to Climate Change)

International Council on Clean Transportation – Need to Fly? Fly like a N.E.R.D. (Four Steps to reduce flight’s impact on the climate)

BBC Earth – How to Become a Biodiversity-Conscious Consumer : “A wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms are needed to keep Earth’s ecosystems healthy. This biodiversity is essential for the air that we breathe and the food that we eat. However, some of the choices we make as consumers are endangering plants and habitats – often without us realising.

Many products we have in our homes contain wild plants, or have an impact on them in some way. Some of these plants are at risk of extinction for a number of reasons including overproduction, whilst others have been entirely removed from ecosystems to make way for another type of farming.

The loss of one species affects another, with the potential for them to fall like dominoes until the whole ecosystem has collapsed. And this is often nudged on by consumer demand. But we can do something about it. By becoming better informed and choosing to buy with sustainability in mind, our purchasing power can instead be used to protect biodiversity.”

David Suzuki Foundation – Tips to help you lower your consumption

Unpacking online shopping’s environmental impacts

How to declutter your home

Government of Canada – Environmental labels and claims : This guide explains some of the common green claims and labels you will see in Canada.

Mogo – How to Read Canadian Eco-Labels

greenly – Our Guide to Identify a Misleading Green Label : What is a green label, why is it important, and how can you decipher the difference between a genuine green label and a dishonest one?

Sewport – Fabric Directory : “Proper knowledge leads to better and informed decisions!” In order to understand the environmental impacts of the clothing you wear (as well as the backpack you carry, the bedding you sleep on every night), proper knowledge about the common fabric we find in the marketplace is necessary. This directory contains everything you need to know about fabric: how a fabric is made, fabric properties, where the material is made, how the production of cloth impacts the environment, certifications and much more.

BBC Future – Can fashion ever be sustainable? : “Fashion accounts for around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, but there are ways to reduce the impact your wardrobe has on the climate.” (from BBC’s Smart Guide to Climate Change)

David Suzuki Foundation – The environmental costs of fast fashion

Ethical Consumer (UK) – Fashion and Clothing: “There are many problems associated with the fast fashion industry from supply chain issues to high greenhouse gas emissions. These fashion and clothing guides help you find the most ethical and sustainable brands and companies. There are also news and features covering a broad range of topics including, workers and human rights abuses, toxic chemicals and sustainable fabrics.”

A Rocha New Zealand – Rich Living: Water

David Suzuki Foundation – Make every drop count: Water conservation tips

BBC Future – The hidden impact of your daily water use : “The way we do our laundry, clean our dishes and hose down our cars all has a surprising and largely unnoticed impact on the climate.” (from BBC’s Smart Guide to Climate Change)