In an effort to better protect the planet for future generations, 64% of consumers say they want to reduce their carbon footprint. 50% of consumers eat meat-free for environmental reasons. According to recent results by YouGov, 64% of consumers say they want to reduce carbon footprints to protect the earth for future generations. 50% of consumers eat meat-free for environmental reasons. One in five millennials is changing their diets to reduce the impact they have on climate change.
Brands and platforms are now stepping up to help consumers understand the impact of their food choices on the environment.
Quorn Foods has announced that it will begin labeling its food products with carbon emissions in January 2020. The new labels present carbon emissions as an important health factor and list carbon footprint calculations along with nutritional information in order to help users better understand the environmental impact of different food items. The new labels will first be applied to select products starting in June 2020 and then will be rolled out across all products by 2021. Nestle, according to The Telegraph, is looking at introducing something similar for their food labels.
Bon Appetit’s Health was published in January 2020, a climate-eating book with suggestions on small changes that readers can make to improve their eating habits. This feature, The healthy-ish guide to eating without stress, offers tips for composting and going plant-based for a meal each day. Aliza Abarbanel is the assistant editor of Healthyish, and she tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence that “Eating for climate change” is a very popular topic right now. Abarbanel says that “a lot of people are aware of the current climate disasters and their individual and collective carbon foot prints,” and that eating habits are a great way to “take actions in your own life.”
BBC launched a climate-change food calculator in August 2019. It measures the carbon footprints of the users’ diets and helps them to understand the impact their food choices have on the environment. BBC News reported that “what we eat has a major impact on the environment, be it climate change or biodiversity loss.” Researcher Joseph Poore developed the food calculator.
Chef and owner Pierre Thiam focuses on ingredients that can be used to expand a limited diet at Teranga. Thiam said to Forbes.com that he supports underutilized crops by including them in his menus. This helps save the biodiversity of our planet. In the current context of menu design, it should be conscious and responsible.
Ikea’s Space10 research lab released a cookbook that incorporates these principles in May 2019. Recipes include a bug burger, microgreen ice cream, and algae chips. Simon Caspersen is the cofounder of Space10 and told Wunderman Thompson Intelligence that they want to encourage people to experiment with new flavors, sustainable ingredients, and microgreen ice cream.
Food brands must produce healthy, sustainable food that does not harm the environment and the consumer.
