Published November 19, 2015

3 Myths About Green Food

Consumers are beginning to care more and more about the ethical and ecological ramifications of the food they eat in restaurants. The number one hot term on restaurant menus according to the National Restaurant Association’s culinary trends survey was locally sourced meat, closely followed by locally sourced produce.

It’s assumed that local food has a lower environmental impact because less energy is used to ship it, but only 11% of the carbon emissions caused by the food system are generated by transport. 83% of food-related emissions are caused by food production itself. Thus, if consumers and restaurants are looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their meals they should try to find farms that use water efficiently and employ no-till farming techniques rather than just thinker that local equals environmentally friendly.

Another assumption many people have about food sustainability is that farmed fish is worse for the environment than wild-caught fish. In reality, the ecological impacts of farmed versus wild-caught are complex, and change depending on species. Mollusks like oysters, clams, and mussels are better for the environment when farmed, but it is harder to determine whether it is better to farm or catch fish like salmon or trout.

Read the full article here: 3 Eco-Myths About Food Sourcing