One third of all food is wasted, and rotting food in landfill is a huge contributor to climate change.
But there are other ways food affects the environment, such as during production.
Research shows that the carbon footprints of some foods are especially large.
Here are five of the worst foods for the environment, along with some tips on how to limit food waste in general.
Industrial meat
Experts say industrial meat production, which is meat produced on a large scale, is the world's single biggest cause of deforestation.
Greenpeace says farmers in Brazil deliberately set forest fires to clear the land for cattle farming. This kills wildlife and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, worsening the effects of climate change.
According to a study published in Nature Food in September, the rearing of cows, pigs and other animals is responsible for 57 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions from food production. Beef alone accounts for a quarter of the emissions.
The research found that a single kilogram of beef creates 70kg of emissions, compared with 2.5kg to produce 1kg of wheat.
“I never buy industrially produced meat,” said Amruta Kshemkalyani, who works as a sustainability consultant in Dubai.
“But in our household we do eat meat, especially seafood, because it’s sustainable and locally produced [in the UAE].”
Palm Oil
Palm oil is another driver of deforestation in some of the world’s most biodiverse forests.
The problem is that it is incredibly lucrative for farmers, “producing more oil per land area than any other equivalent vegetable oil crop”, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The edible oil is used in about 50 per cent of the packaged products found in supermarkets.
Indonesia and Malaysia are the biggest producers of palm oil, and they are cutting down their forests to create more space for agriculture.
Sadly this means endangered species such as the orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino are being pushed to extinction because of encroachment of their habitats.
Palm oil is the leading cause of orangutan extinction, according to the Orangutan Foundation. It says 1,000 to 5,000 orangutans are killed on palm oil farms each year.
“It’s greed, basically,” said Ms Kshemkalyani, who is the founder of the Sustainability Tribe and AK Sustainability Advisory in the UAE.
“They cut down the forest to plant palm farms, which is just palms, nothing else. And the species that were living in the forest have no home.”
Chocolate
Chocolate is another crop that is damaging to the environment.
Experts say the chocolate industry is shrinking rainforests, emitting carbon dioxide, and fuelling climate change.
According to the WWF, it can take an entire year for a cocoa tree to produce enough cocoa beans to make 225 grams of chocolate.
Older trees yield less, so farmers clear tropical forests to plant new cocoa trees rather than reusing the same land.
“These cash crops create a similar problem – vanishing species and reducing the carbon sink viability of the forest,” said Ms Kshemkalyani, describing crops produced for their commercial value rather than for use by the grower.
“There is an ethical aspect as well, where many cocoa farmers are not being paid fairly.”
Mineral water
Recent research conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found the environmental impact of bottled water is up to 3,500 times higher than tap water.
That includes the energy costs of making the plastic bottles, processing the water that goes into them and cleaning, filling, sealing, labelling and transporting them to market.
That equates to about 160 million barrels of oil, according to a 2017 study.
But there is a solution.
“Having a water filter can be a very good idea. Because our tap water in the UAE is of good quality. And if you have a good filter in place you can definitely reduce these plastic bottles,” Ms Kshemkalyani said.
“If it is really necessary for you to have bottled water, then at least you should go for those five-gallon bottles, instead of the individually packed ones, which are very bad.”
Sugar
More than 145 million tonnes of sugar are produced every year, in 120 countries.
This has a huge impact in terms of the effect on the environment, according to a report by the WWF.
The many negative effects of sugar production include the loss of natural habitats, intensive use of water, heavy use of agro-chemicals, run-off liquid waste and air pollution, it said.
Phosphorus-rich run-off from sugar cane fields is “largely responsible” for the decline of the Everglades in Florida.
Sugar beet irrigation in Andalucia, Spain, has contributed to lowered water levels in rivers, the WWF said. And over the past 60 years the construction of dams, barrages and irrigation systems in Pakistan have “led to a 90 per cent reduction in the amount of freshwater reaching the Indus Delta”.
The group has called on people to reconsider their consumption of the sweet stuff, for their own health as well as the environment.
Tips to limit food waste
- Be especially careful when buying fresh food, and buy only as much as you plan to use, because it quickly goes out of date
- Be sure to store your food correctly, paying particular attention to the back of the fridge, where food often gets forgotten
- Wait until your fridge is empty before shopping – most food is wasted before it is even cooked
- Eat food produced locally, such as seafood, or fruit and vegetables grown in the UAE
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
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SERIES INFO
Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16
UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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