Giovanni Manfroni The health of our planet is deeply intertwined with the health of our food system, and the health of all of us. We, as humans, have taken a toll on our planet, especially in terms of our food system’s impact. For example, in order to grow enough food for cattle for our consumption, about 7 million acres are deforested in our tropical forests and converted for feed grains every year. This has a significant impact on our carbon cycle, as these forests are a vital carbon sink and for producing oxygen for the planet.
As we learn more about climate change, sometimes it can become fairly overwhelming to know how to move forward. However, in honor of Earth Day, we want to highlight some suggestions for taking action on climate change in defense of our beautiful planet. Earthday.org cites two initiatives in relation to food and the environment – one focused on the importance of Regenerative Agriculture to better support the health of our soil and our planet’s biodiversity, and the other focused on Foodprints for the Future. You may have heard of calculating your “Carbon Footprint” in terms of your impact on the environment: this initiative shares a number of valuable resources, along with an opportunity to calculate your Foodprint.
One of their food systems related impacts include “buying local,” which we agree is an important action you can take to support our planet. Buying from farmers’ markets supports our earth, as they are great places to find and learn more about local products – that promote biodiversity, regenerative farming practices, local economies, and minimal carbon footprints. Take a moment to check out the Earthday.org toolkit and think about what kind of steps you want to take to help the planet – in celebration of our Earth!
by Christina Ermilio
