EAT GREEN

Photo by Diana Wallace

Eat locally produced, seasonal food wherever possible
Eat less meat and dairy, but eat better
Cut down on food waste

EAT LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD WHEREVER POSSIBLE

Photo by Karen Schneider

We have many local producers of many different items, from cauliflower to honey. Eating locally means it's seasonal and has reduced food miles.

Eating seasonal food such as strawberries throughout the year has become normal and it’s easy to forget the impact on the planet. Strawberries from Spain have traveled approximately 787 miles to the UK. These types of food have higher carbon emissions due to both their growing and transport, and require large volumes of precious water too. It's incredible that 55% of the food we eat in the UK is imported.

CUT DOWN ON FOOD WASTE

Photo by Sally Jones

Only buy what you need.
Buy loose if you can.
Freeze left over food if it’s not going to be eaten soon.
4.5 million tonnes of edible food is thrown away each year by UK households - the equivalent of 8 meals per week & 70% of all food wasted in the UK is wasted by citizens in their own homes

EAT LESS MEAT AND DAIRY, BUT EAT BETTER

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Intensive farming destroys ecosystems. In the last 50 years more forests have been cut down and more land is used for grazing and to grow crops, many of which are grown to feed cattle. This is contributing to a loss of habitats and the species which depend on them.
Organic farming is better for people, wildlife, and the planet. If all of Europe's farmland followed organic principles, emissions of carbon dioxide and methane could drop by 40-50%, with plenty to feed the growing population healthy diets.
So rather than cutting out meat and dairy altogether, why not eat less but eat better?

AVOID IMPORTING FOOD AND EXPORTING DROUGHT

Photo by Monstera from Pexels

We import 42% of our vegetables and 89% of our fruit. Much of this comes from water-stressed countries. Every time we buy an imported orange or an avocado we are contributing to a reduction in the water available in the country of origin – water which could otherwise have supported the local environment, or smallholder farmers.

How can we avoid contributing to water shortages overseas through our food choices? In Wales we are blessed with ample rainfall which grows grass

naturally, and often in areas unsuitable for growing fruit and vegetables. These areas are ideal for pasture-fed meat production. We also have a number of excellent local producers of fruit and vegetables.

Eat less meat, but better
Eat local wherever possible.

FACTS & FIGURES

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Eat Green means eating food which has a lower impact on our environment, such as being grown locally using nature friendly methods of farming. Food production as a whole contributes between 30% to 40 % of greenhouse gas emissions; with livestock production accounting for around 14.5%.
Modern, industrial methods of farming produce a large amount of carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The use of pesticides and fertilisers in industrial agriculture also pollutes the land and rivers and leaves residues in the food we eat. Large-scale chicken production in the Wye catchment is causing phosphate leakage into the tributaries of the Wye, leading to serious concerns about this lovely river becoming ecologically dead.
Palm oil for human consumption and soya fed to animals are grown on areas of land which have been cleared of rainforest - reducing the size of these vital 'lungs of the earth' as well as impacting on the people, animals and plants which call them home.