In 2018, ecologists Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemececk from the Agroecology and Environment Research Division of the University of Oxford's Department of Zoology found in their paper Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers that food production is responsible for around 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide -- meaning our diets play a significant role in impacting the climate. By analyzing data from nearly 40,000 farms and 1,600 processors and retailers, researchers also found that, of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by food, meat and other animal products accounted for 56% to 58% of food-related emissions despite providing just 37% of our intake of portein of 18% of our calories.
These findings are not unexpected. Indeed, other similar studies have corroborated their results: writing in the journal Environmental Science & Technology in 2011, energy scientists Christopher M. Jones and Daniel M. Kammen from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley estimate that food consumption comprises 10-30% of a household's carbon footprint. Likewise, in their 2018 paper published in Environmental Research Letters, Martin C. Heller, et al. from the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan and Tulane University calculate that meat accounts for 56.6% of the contribution to total greenhouse gas emissions by food group (of which, beef constiutes 80.6%).
To find out how much your diet contributes to direct/indirect greenhouse gas emissions, enter in your weekly consumption habits (in grams) by clicking on a table cell to the right. Afterward, scroll down to the bottom to find your estimated carbon, sulfur dioxide, and phosphate footprint (your results are updated in real-time). At the very end, you will find a chart tool that maps your annual carbon footprint against the per capita mean annual footprint in countries across the world, using an amalgamation of sources from the Integrated Carbon Observation System and Our World In Data, a data analytics extension of the University of Oxford.
| Food | Weekly Consumption (g) |
|---|---|
| Milk | 0 |
| Cheese | 0 |
| Butter, Cream & Ghee | 0 |
| Bananas | 0 |
| Apples | 0 |
|
Citrus Fruit
Oranges, Lemons, Lime, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Mandarins, Clementines, Kumquat, Yuzu
|
0 |
|
Berries & Grapes
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries, Huckleberries, Açaí, Guarana
|
0 |
| Tomatoes | 0 |
|
Other Fruit
Melon, Avocado, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Squash, Eggplant, Zucchini, Gourd, Tinda
|
0 |
| Potatoes | 0 |
| Cassava | 0 |
|
Brassicas
Mustard, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage,
Turnips, Collard Greens, Kale, Rutabaga, Mizuna, Daikon, Wasabi,
Kohlrabi, Rapini
|
0 |
|
Onions & Leeks
Onions, Garlic, Scallions, Leeks, Shallot, Chives
|
0 |
|
Other Root Vegetables
Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Celery, Parsnips, Ginger, Beets,
Radishes, Parsley, Fennel, Burdock, Turmeric, Ginseng, Jicama,
Mangelwurzel, Taro, Salsify, Skirret, Maca, Bamboo Shoots,
Ulluco, Nopal, and other tubers/rhizomes/clorms
|
0 |
|
Other Vegetables
Lettuce, Spinach, Asparagus, Artichoke, Arugula, Yarrow, Mallow,
Dill, Amaranth, Watercress
|
0 |
| Bovine Meat (Beef Herd) | 0 |
| Bovine Meat (Dairy Herd) | 0 |
| Lamb & Mutton | 0 |
| Pig Meat | 0 |
|
Poultry Meat
Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Geese, Guineafowl, Peafowl, Pheasant, Quail, Grouse
|
0 |
| Buffalo | 0 |
|
Fish (farmed)
Salmon, Trout, Carp, Cod, Bass, Catfish, Tilapia, Barramundi
|
0 |
|
Crustaceans (farmed)
Shrimp, Prawns, Crayfish, Crab, Lobster
|
0 |
|
Fish & Crustaceans (Capture)
Tuna, Salmon, Pollock, Cod, Trout, Bass, Carp,
Pike, Herring, Mackerel, Perch, Catfish, Tilapia, Flounder, Sardines,
Anchovy, Snapper, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Crayfish, Prawn, Barnacles, Krill
|
0 |
| Animal Fats | 0 |
| Wheat & Rye (Bread) | 0 |
| Maize (Meal) | 0 |
| Barley (Beer) | 0 |
| Oatmeal | 0 |
| Rice | 0 |
| Cane Sugar | 0 |
| Beet Sugar | 0 |
| Miscellaneous Cereals & Oilcrops | 0 |
| Peas | 0 |
|
Other Pulses
Beans, Lentils, Vetch, Lupins, Gram, Mung, and other legumes
|
0 |
|
Groundnuts
Peanuts, Bambara Nuts, Tiger Nuts
|
0 |
|
Tree Nuts
Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Pistacchios,
Macadamia Nuts, Chestnuts, Pine Nuts, Brazil Nuts, Hickory Nuts
|
0 |
| Soybean Oil | 0 |
| Palm Oil | 0 |
| Sunflower Oil | 0 |
| Rapeseed Oil (Canola Oil) | 0 |
| Olive Oil | 0 |
|
Miscellaneous Oils
Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Avocado Oil,
Peanut/Groundnut Oil, Safflower Oil, Rice Bran Oil
|
0 |
| Eggs | 0 |
| Tofu | 0 |
| Soy Milk | 0 |
| Wine | 0 |
| Coffee | 0 |
| Dark Chocolate | 0 |
| Sweeteners & Honey | 0 |
|
Stimulants & Spices
Cocoa, Tea, Peppers, Pimento, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Canella, Cloves,
Nutmeg, Mace and Cardamom, Ginger and Anise, Badian and Fennel
|
0 |
| Aquatic Plants | 0 |
| Total (g) | |