Peanuts or almonds? Rice or millet? Planet-friendly grocery shopping choices go beyond cutting meat
It's one of the most impactful climate decisions we make, and we make it multiple times a day.
The UN estimates about a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change, come from food. That pollution can come from several links in the food supply chain: how farmland is treated, how crops are grown, how food is processed and how it's ultimately transported.
Maybe you've already heard the short answer to minimizing your diet's impact on the planet: eat more plants and fewer animals. The data backs up that suggestion. Emissions from meat-rich diets are four times higher than that of vegan diets.
But so much focus on meats overshadows many other food choices that also impact the environment and can contribute to global warming. Here is a look at other important grocery store decisions:
Proteins
Swapping one serving of chicken per day for beef cuts a diet's emissions nearly in half. Ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats are the top drivers of emissions.
Those animals 'are associated not only with nitrous oxide emissions, but they're also related to direct methane emissions because they burp them up while they digest food,' said Marco Springmann, professorial research fellow in climate change, food systems and health at University College London.
Springmann said processed animal products have a higher impact on the planet, too: 'You need 10 times the amount of milk to make one unit of cheese.' So — and this is true of most food groups — the less processed the food, the smaller the environmental impact.
Plant-based proteins like legumes, beans and nuts all boast a much lower climate impact.
Grains
The standout here is rice, and not in a good way.
'Rice uses a ton of water. It uses gobs of fertilizer. There's flooded rice paddy fields, and that water actually breeds all kinds of bacteria, and those bacteria produce methane gas,' said eco-dietitian nutritionist Mary Purdy.
Purdy said the most planet-friendly alternative is just eating a bunch of different grains.
'The wheat, corn and soy world is very, very familiar to us because we've been seeing it. It's been heavily marketed. When was the last time you saw a commercial for millet or buckwheat?' she asked.
Diverse diets, Purdy said, incentivize biodiverse agriculture, which is more resilient to erratic weather — a hallmark of climate change — and makes healthier soil.
Fruits and vegetables
When it comes to produce, minimizing impact is less about choosing between foods and more about buying based on the way that food was grown.
Conventionally grown produce 'very likely is using pesticides, fertilizer, and maybe more water because the soil isn't healthy,' said Purdy.
Purdy said organic labels, such as Regenerative Organic Certified, indicate those foods had a smaller climate impact when they were grown. The tradeoff is that organic food has a lower yield, so it requires more land use and is often more expensive.
Local and 'in season' foods also have a smaller climate impact, but not just for one of the reasons you may be thinking of: emissions from international shipping. Every day, thousands of large ships transport goods, including produce, around the world, and the fuel they use is heavily polluting.
However, 'it's mostly those local emissions on trucks that are actually impactful, not the international shipping emissions,' Springmann said.
Also, food grown nearby tends to be grown in a way that fits with the local climate and is less harmful to the environment.
'We're not trying to grow oranges in some place in a greenhouse,' Purdy said.
Butter and oil
Plants win out over animals, again. Vegetable oils are less impactful than butter or lard. Springmann also said tropical oils are healthiest in moderation, such as those from coconuts or palms, because they have a higher fat content. Plus, palm oil is associated with deforestation.
As for nut butters, almonds might be a great option for limiting carbon emissions, but they require a lot of water. One study out of Tulane University found that a serving of peanuts has an emissions footprint similar to almonds but 30 percent less impact on water use.
Don't waste food
Throwing less food away might sound obvious, but roughly a third of food grown in the US is wasted.
Meal planning, freezing leftovers and checking the fridge before heading to the grocery store all help cut waste.
'The climate impact, the embedded water use, all of the labor and different aspects that went into producing that food, that all gets wasted if we don't eat it,' Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
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Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Falling birthrates may not be such a bad thing, experts say
Fertility rates around the world are on a trajectory to dip low enough to be unable to sustain population levels by the end of the century, according to a study published in The Lancet. The shift promises to divide nations into two camps: those facing dramatic population decline and those experiencing 'baby booms' in less developed regions prone to socioeconomic instability, senior researcher Stein Emil Vollset from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle said in a statement. The study concludes that three-quarters (76 percent) of the world's countries - 155 of 204 countries and territories worldwide - will have fertility rates below population replacement levels in the next 25 years. By century's end, researchers predict a world split between nations unable to support aging populations and others grappling with unsustainable growth. The predictions are based on surveys, censuses, and other sources of data collected from 1950 through 2021 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. A 2024 study by Gitau Mburu, James Kiarie, and Pascale Allotey, also published in The Lancet, summarizes that the consequences of a low global total fertility rate may include both pros and cons. 'Low TFR (Total Fertility Rate) could lead to benefits related to population growth, environment, food security, health, climate change, and biodiversity. But it could also have negative ramifications on population ageing, health care, pensions, social security, some labour supply, and nationalistic geopolitics,' it said. Population tracking isn't new 'Even in ancient times, emperors, for example, were keen to understand population growth because it was important to organize production and plan defense strategies,' Professor of Sociology at the American University of Sharjah and Head of the International Studies Department Dr. Yuting Wang told Al Arabiya English. 'You must know how many subjects you have to understand the tax base. There has always been this concern that if the population is too small, then you lose that tax base,' she added. Through the years, the world has witnessed persistently changing patterns in population growth. Concerns about population growth first emerged in the early nineteenth century, coinciding with the onset of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, which led to increased food availability. From there, the transition took on a different shape. 'We have gone through different stages. From very high birth and mortality rates to low birth and mortality rates. At some point, because birth rates remained very high, mortality rates were dropping. That is when there was concern that the population is going to explode,' she explained. 'Now we have entered a low growth and birth rate phase, where mortality rates also remain very low. We are sort of looking at a shrinking population.' Trends not unprecedented The trends in population growth are not unprecedented and do not symbolize signs of impending doom, said Wang. Instead, what this means for sociologists is that it is time to shift priorities and reconsider how to embrace the economy with a smaller population. However, accommodating a diminishing population in an ever-growing economy may be setting up the world for failure, she added. While machine learning has been used to replace human labor in some fields, meaning not as many people are needed in the labor force, 'We're facing a different demography and so we'll have to make some changes in terms of policy,' Wang said. Despite the changes, an altered demography will affect certain industries. For example, she explained that a decrease in the number of newborns will affect sectors of childcare and early education. Japan exemplifies this reality, with entire educational institutions closing as student populations shrink. Population trends vary However, populations trends vary throughout the world based on a multitude of socioeconomic factors and continue to challenge notions about the world. 'In countries in Africa, we continue to see a high birthrate. The population growth is going to be different in different locations. It's going to challenge some of these well-established understandings of the world,' she said. There is also a distinct correlation between economic development in a nation and the birthrate, Wang said. 'It's a natural trajectory – when your economy grows, then especially young people who spend more time of their lives in educational institutions are going to postpone marriage and the time of the first birth of their child. And then that's going to lead to population decrease,' she said. A hundred years may constitute up to five generations in the past. However, today a century may only witness the existence of four generations or less, she explained, adding that it is natural in a more mature economy for people to have less children. Effects of technology There are multiple factors at play, and the correlation with economic standing is not the only one that exists. A single-approach explanation such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or status of the economy is not comprehensively effective. 'There's a lot of other factors that can affect the way that people understand the world, and understand their opportunities and obstacles in it,' Wang said. Birthrates in less economically developed countries continue to remain high because people are unable to either fully understand the cost of having children or they feel like there are no other ways to change their economic outlook, she added. 'Somewhere in a small village in Ethiopia, for example, where maybe culture emphasizes the value of family and people are unable to see any government support – people will tend to have more children because they will rely on them for security in old age,' she said. But as young people migrate to cities and gain opportunities, reproductive choices shift, Wang added. Increase in women's autonomy To some extent, Wang attributes falling birthrates to a general increase in women's empowerment due to a higher level of education and mass education drives being implemented in most countries. 'There's still discrimination, but most governments have been trying to at least provide more education to women,' she said following up with examples from Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi government, in collaboration with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has been distributing contraceptive devices and raising awareness about effective family planning, which also helps women receive more opportunities to participate in the paid labor force. 'These are short-term educational programs that have had positive outcomes. Without improving the overall GDP, Bangladesh was able to reduce its birthrate,' she said. She drew a direct correlation between women's empowerment and falling birthrates, saying 'when you have drastic increase in women taking leadership roles, it changes their understanding of what works best for them which could be reflected in their reproductive choices.' Balancing hope and doom Wang said the rapidly-evolving emergence of Artificial Intelligence has also helped shape values on reproduction among young people. A generation living in fear of being replaced by machines sees little benefit in producing offsprings. 'Every sector has been shaken up by AI, or at least there's potential threats. AI can replace a lot of work already, and it is learning at stunning speeds. I can only imagine what young people might want.' 'There's also some of these inventions that might change the situation. The artificial womb, for example, could solve that issue of population decline. Maybe they can keep the population at a certain level. It sounds like sci-fi, but it's happening. And then they can control genetic composition. So, they can produce better humans. That's why young people don't really feel there's a necessity to naturally reproduce,' she added. Use of AI in reproductive health At a time when falling birthrates are causing concern among most, the use Artificial Intelligence in reproductive health is beginning to receive both optimism and scrutiny. A technical brief by the World Health Organization and the UN Special Program on Human Reproduction (HRP) examines the opportunities and risks involved in AI use pertaining to reproductive and sexual health. 'AI is already transforming technology for sexual and reproductive health. If we're aware about the potential dangers, and cautious about implementation, and recognize AI as a tool and not a solution, we have a great opportunity to make sexual and reproductive services and information more accessible to all,' said Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of HRP and WHO's Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health. The organization has also conducted a scoping review to examine the use of AI in infertility and fertility care, WHO shared with Al Arabiya English. Some of these uses included predicting assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes by training models on selected clinical and laboratory features, embryo selection assisted by machine learning techniques, as well as assessment of assessment of fertility parameters, such as hormonal levels, reproductive organ health and sperm motility. 'One of our next steps as WHO is to conduct a more thorough analysis of the identified studies. We are also embarking on efforts to provide evidence-based recommendations and implementation considerations for effectively and responsibly using AI to advance SRH, including for infertility and fertility care,' WHO added. Ongoing research Focusing on the growing global need for fertility treatments, an IVF-AI project started in November 2024 led by Helsinki University in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and CGI. Using AI-enabled precision medicine, the model aims to predict the general success probability of fertility treatments and offer recommendations for best line of treatment for couples. The project hopes to improve the success rate and cost-effectiveness if fertility treatments, using techniques such as clinical image analysis, developing comprehensive predictive models using patient and image data, and medical imaging recognition methods using AI. 'From the patient's perspective, it is crucial to receive realistic information about how likely the treatment is to succeed,' Helsinki University's Head of Reproductive Medicine Hanna Savolainen-Peltonen said in a statement released earlier this year. 'The aim of this project is for couples to conceive more quickly and for clinicians to save time,' she added. Silver lining A decline in birthrates may be a natural transition in terms of population growth patterns, Wang argued. When there are high mortality rates, the world needs high birthrates to maintain balance. Today, with overall developments in healthcare prompting a drop in mortality rates, the world might need lower birthrates to tip the scales. 'Our economy is built on mass consumption. Production is built on mass consumption, which is certainly not sustainable as it hurts the environment. So, population decline may not be a bad thing eventually,' she said. 'In the grand scheme of things, they want a bigger population because it generates more' Wang added. Wang said concerns about falling birthrates are often connected to fears about the economy and losing a consumer base, 'We're worried about falling birthrates because we're always thinking we won't have a consumer base and the economy is going to collapse.' 'But why do we sustain the unsustainable model of action? There's something wrong with that production model,' she added.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Uzbekistan keen to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on environmental protections: top official
RIYADH: Uzbekistan's cooperation with Saudi Arabia on ecology and environmental protection is steadily progressing, with the Central Asian nation aiming to deepen this partnership through the exchange of knowledge and innovation, a top official said. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Uzbekistan's Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov said that the country wishes to collaborate with the Kingdom to develop effective solutions to issues including dust and sand storms. Saudi Arabia is spearheading climate action efforts across the Middle East, with ambitions to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 278 million tonnes per year. 'Our cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of ecology and environmental protection is dynamic and multifaceted. Through the Intergovernmental Commission between our two countries, we regularly exchange views on the current state and future prospects of collaboration between our environmental agencies,' said Abdukhakimov. He added: 'We plan to foster collaboration between our national parks and protected natural areas. Saudi Arabia has more than 70 such areas, covering about 18 percent of its territory.' The minister further said that such collaborations will allow the exchange of expertise in preserving unique ecosystems and rare species of flora and fauna. Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan's Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies is seeking to establish academic partnerships with institutions in the Kingdom, including King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University, for the exchange of scientific knowledge and innovations in the environmental field. 'Our cooperation is built on trust, mutual interest, and a shared responsibility for sustainable development and environmental protection in our regions,' said the minister. He also invited Saudi partners to participate in the international Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition to be held in Tashkent from June 19 to 21, as well as the 20th CITES COP20 Conference, which will take place in Samarkand from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5. Uzbekistan's environmental agenda During the interview, Abdukhakimov told Arab News that Uzbekistan is currently facing several severe environmental challenges, both globally and regionally, including climate change, desertification, and land degradation. 'These phenomena directly impact the country's sustainable development and require proactive government action. At the regional and national levels, the most pressing issues include water scarcity and pollution, air quality degradation, and the need to conserve and restore biodiversity,' he said. To address these challenges, the Uzbek government, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is taking various measures, including a push for a green economy, a transition to environmentally friendly transportation, and the development of alternative and renewable energy sources. Saudi Arabia is also collaborating with Uzbekistan to advance its energy transition journey, which aims to generate 40 percent of its electricity from clean sources by the end of this decade. Saudi utility giant ACWA Power is the largest foreign player in Uzbekistan's energy sector, with the company already implementing 19 projects in the country worth a combined value of $5 billion. Out of these 19 initiatives, eight are focused on renewable energy, which is expected to support the Central Asian nation's goal to achieve 20 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030. During the Tashkent Investment Forum, Abid Malik, president of ACWA Power for Central Asia, announced that Uzbekistan will commence producing green hydrogen this month, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes. In 2023, Mirziyoyev launched a pilot green hydrogen facility in the Tashkent Region in cooperation with ACWA Power. The $88 million project is being implemented in two phases, with production from the first phase expected to begin this month. During the forum, Soumendra Rout, ACWA Power's country head for Uzbekistan, said that the company is planning to invest $5 billion in the Central Asian nation as a part of its broader strategy aimed at increasing its total commitments in the country to $15 billion. Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan, through the nationwide project Yashil Makon 'Green Space,' aims to plant 200 million trees annually. Under the project, Uzbekistan has planted over 850 million tree and shrub seedlings over the past four years. 'Under the 'Uzbekistan – 2030' Strategy, one of the key priorities is to ensure a favorable environment for the population. The year 2025 has been declared the 'Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy,' underscoring the state's strong commitment to environmental priorities,' said the minister. Abdukhakimov further added that Uzbekistan is also strengthening institutions for environmental monitoring and control, with the country installing automated air pollution monitoring stations and expanding its meteorological network. 'These measures demonstrate Uzbekistan's systematic approach to solving environmental problems and its active engagement in the global environmental movement,' he added. Cooperation with regional partners According to Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan, like other Central Asian nations, is located in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions. He added that the average temperature in the region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius — twice the global average, while the area of glaciers has decreased by 30 percent in the last 50 to 60 years, resulting in water shortages, land degradation, and reduced crop yields. 'Central Asian countries share a common history, transboundary water resources and similar environmental threats — from desertification to increased vulnerability in agriculture. For this reason, Uzbekistan views cooperation as a key instrument in crafting a unified regional response to climate risks,' said the minister. To ensure regional cooperation, Uzbekistan also hosted the Samarkand Climate Forum in April, where the Regional Green Development Concept was presented. The minister said that this document serves as a foundation for shaping coordinated climate policy and strengthening regional solidarity in the face of global challenges. Uzbekistan is also actively engaged in numerous regional initiatives, including the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, and the CAREC Program, as well as projects with the World Bank, OSCE, and UNESCO. Abdukhakimov further said that these initiatives will facilitate knowledge exchange, joint management of natural resources, and the mobilization of international funding. 'In short, Uzbekistan builds regional cooperation on climate issues on the principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, and synergy— firmly believing that only collective efforts can ensure a sustainable future for the entire region,' the minister said.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Peanuts or almonds? Rice or millet? Planet-friendly grocery shopping choices go beyond cutting meat
It's one of the most impactful climate decisions we make, and we make it multiple times a day. The UN estimates about a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change, come from food. That pollution can come from several links in the food supply chain: how farmland is treated, how crops are grown, how food is processed and how it's ultimately transported. Maybe you've already heard the short answer to minimizing your diet's impact on the planet: eat more plants and fewer animals. The data backs up that suggestion. Emissions from meat-rich diets are four times higher than that of vegan diets. But so much focus on meats overshadows many other food choices that also impact the environment and can contribute to global warming. Here is a look at other important grocery store decisions: Proteins Swapping one serving of chicken per day for beef cuts a diet's emissions nearly in half. Ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats are the top drivers of emissions. Those animals 'are associated not only with nitrous oxide emissions, but they're also related to direct methane emissions because they burp them up while they digest food,' said Marco Springmann, professorial research fellow in climate change, food systems and health at University College London. Springmann said processed animal products have a higher impact on the planet, too: 'You need 10 times the amount of milk to make one unit of cheese.' So — and this is true of most food groups — the less processed the food, the smaller the environmental impact. Plant-based proteins like legumes, beans and nuts all boast a much lower climate impact. Grains The standout here is rice, and not in a good way. 'Rice uses a ton of water. It uses gobs of fertilizer. There's flooded rice paddy fields, and that water actually breeds all kinds of bacteria, and those bacteria produce methane gas,' said eco-dietitian nutritionist Mary Purdy. Purdy said the most planet-friendly alternative is just eating a bunch of different grains. 'The wheat, corn and soy world is very, very familiar to us because we've been seeing it. It's been heavily marketed. When was the last time you saw a commercial for millet or buckwheat?' she asked. Diverse diets, Purdy said, incentivize biodiverse agriculture, which is more resilient to erratic weather — a hallmark of climate change — and makes healthier soil. Fruits and vegetables When it comes to produce, minimizing impact is less about choosing between foods and more about buying based on the way that food was grown. Conventionally grown produce 'very likely is using pesticides, fertilizer, and maybe more water because the soil isn't healthy,' said Purdy. Purdy said organic labels, such as Regenerative Organic Certified, indicate those foods had a smaller climate impact when they were grown. The tradeoff is that organic food has a lower yield, so it requires more land use and is often more expensive. Local and 'in season' foods also have a smaller climate impact, but not just for one of the reasons you may be thinking of: emissions from international shipping. Every day, thousands of large ships transport goods, including produce, around the world, and the fuel they use is heavily polluting. However, 'it's mostly those local emissions on trucks that are actually impactful, not the international shipping emissions,' Springmann said. Also, food grown nearby tends to be grown in a way that fits with the local climate and is less harmful to the environment. 'We're not trying to grow oranges in some place in a greenhouse,' Purdy said. Butter and oil Plants win out over animals, again. Vegetable oils are less impactful than butter or lard. Springmann also said tropical oils are healthiest in moderation, such as those from coconuts or palms, because they have a higher fat content. Plus, palm oil is associated with deforestation. As for nut butters, almonds might be a great option for limiting carbon emissions, but they require a lot of water. One study out of Tulane University found that a serving of peanuts has an emissions footprint similar to almonds but 30 percent less impact on water use. Don't waste food Throwing less food away might sound obvious, but roughly a third of food grown in the US is wasted. Meal planning, freezing leftovers and checking the fridge before heading to the grocery store all help cut waste. 'The climate impact, the embedded water use, all of the labor and different aspects that went into producing that food, that all gets wasted if we don't eat it,' Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
