8 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint of Food

At 20.7% of the average U.S. carbon footprint, food is the highest priority of emissions reductions.   It’s easy to reduce the carbon footprint of your food with simple changes in diet and help our planet and wildlife quickly.

Julie Smith, 5/29/26

This is a summary of Chapter 17, Food - The Top Priority, in the book, “2050: What’s it Gonna Be?”.  You can download the full chapter, as well as other chapters.  References are here.

Food is our biggest source of carbon emissions in the U.S., so let’s start with food in our journey to save our planet and the other life that lives here.  After all, each and every one of us eats every day, and our daily decisions on what and how to eat can have a huge instantaneous impact.  Especially if enough of us do it.  And, luckily, good eating habits are not only better for the planet, they’re better for us.  We’ll live longer, have more joy in life, and even spend less money on our food.  And pharms, which is technically an extremely overprocessed and overpriced category of food. It’s actually one of the fastest things we can turn around.  And luckily it’s not that hard. 

Table 1 shows a breakdown of total embodied carbon footprint of our food, from the farm to the grocery store. The first number in each box is the average carbon footprint per capita for each category, and was calculated by simply dividing the total U.S. carbon footprint in each category by the U.S. population.  The second number, in parentheses, is the percentage of total U.S. emissions that the first number represents.  The percentage may be easier for some of us to act on, but both numbers are saying the same thing in slightly different ways.  For example, the top left box is for non-combustion emissions of Agriculture, which is 1.68 mt/person per year, or 7.6% of our gross carbon emissions in the U.S..  Since non-combustion emissions is from industrial farming practices that use synthetic petrochemical fertilizers that release CO₂ as they oxidize, and from methane released by ungulates (eg cattle), we can, in theory, reduce our carbon footprint by 7.6% simply by consuming only organic foods and avoiding beef and dairy. 

Of course, the reality isn’t quite that simple, because it’s sometimes difficult to find organic food, and many of us will want to consume at least some meat and dairy, so the truth probably lies somewhere in between.  Say, if we can switch to half our food being organic and reduce our meat and dairy by half, that’s about a 4% reduction in our carbon footprint, or a reduction of 0.84 mt per year, which is a nice move in the right direction, towards our goal of an 80% reduction, or 17.6 mt per year.  In this way, we can chip away at our carbon footprint in each category, and each little change will add up to the big changes that we desperately need to save our planet.  

Getting back to the big corp mass production agriculture practices that contribute 10% of our CO₂e emissions, one thing that I’ve never understood is why these practices are called “conventional”, while sustainable practices that don’t use synthetic chemicals are called “organic”.  Think about that.  When you shop for groceries, how do you know if you’re buying organic vegetables or not?  Well, basically it’s the labelling of the products.  They’ll be labelled with a little sticker (usually plastic, very annoying) that says “organic”.  The produce that’s not organic may be labelled as “conventional” or not labelled at all, implying that the default is “industrial production, with toxic chemicals”, which, these days, is true.  At least here in the U.S..  And in much of the world.  In fact, the default for farming practices globally up until the past century was chemical-free, because we didn’t start using toxic petrochemicals to grow our food in a big way until the first half of the 20^th century.  This means that before that, the default method of growing food was actually organic.  Then big corp convinced farmers that spewing poison all over the land was so much easier, and here we are.  In just three generations we honestly believe that poisoning the land equates to conventional agricultural practices.  And organic practices are for hippies. 

Humans don’t have to be a blight on this earth.  But right now agriculture is responsible for around one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of freshwater withdrawals, half the land use, and 78% of the eutrophication (nutrient runoff that causes overgrowth of algae and dead zones in water bodies).  If all food were grown regeneratively, the current land emissions would be turned into absorption of CO₂.  That’s a lot.  It would mean taking all the CO₂e emissions from toxic agricultural practices on 1.3 billion acres in the U.S. alone, and converting those emissions into sequestration.  Think about that.  That would help a lot.  Do you think it might be worth saying no to toxic big ag and yes to organic regenerative ag, even if it costs more?  I do.  When it gets down to it, this feels like a “pay me now or pay me later” kind of thing.

Almost all of the alfalfa grown in the U.S., most of the soybeans, and about 40% of corn (three of the four biggest crops by value) go to livestock feed.  Irrigating cattle-feed crops consumes 23% of all water consumption, and 55% of the water from the Colorado River goes to cattle feed.⁸  It takes 30 LB of grain to produce a LB of beef.  In addition to the methane released, which is far more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas, in the U.S., livestock, mainly cows, takes up 41% of the land for grazing and another 20% to grow their feed, a total of 61% of our land.⁵  It turns out that hogs are not as bad as cows, because they produce less methane gas.  Their digestive systems are much more efficient at converting feed to meat.  Also, they eat just about anything, which means they can be fed fresh waste food.  So, basically, eat hogs not cows.  At home what little meat we eat these days is pork or chicken. 

Here are 9 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint of Food:

1. Synthetic Fertilizers is a $140 billion dollar industry in the U.S.  Synthetic fertilizers are made mainly from fossil fuels and minerals that are extracted from the earth, and then refined and processed into a convenient form, a solid salt or liquid, typically, that makes it easy to apply to crop land.  Once applied to the land, synthetic fertilizers break down and dissolve quickly, releasing CO₂ into the atmosphere.  Therefore, the carbon footprint of synthetic fertilizer includes not only the CO₂e released from the industrial processes to mine and refine the extracted raw materials that use fossil fuels for energy and release CO₂ from industrial chemical reactions, but also the CO₂ released as the products break down after they are applied to the land.  In Table 2, the carbon footprint of manufacturing is just under 1% of the total carbon footprint in the U.S., and the agricultural emissions after they are field applied is about 4% of our total carbon footprint. An additional problem with synthetic fertilizers is that these are the nutrients that are running into surface waterways, and flowing to the oceans from there, leading to the dead zones in the oceans that are killing fish stocks. Organic agriculture doesn't use synthetic fertilizers, opting for compost, which is a full-circle renewable nutrient sources that stays on the land and doesn't run into the oceans. Therefore, we can save 5% of carbon emissions and reduce loss of fish stocks by eating organic.

2. Processed Foods are manipulated chemically in some way, compared to natural foods, with nutrients removed, additives like artificial colors and flavors added and they are always packaged. An example is sugar, which has been processed to the point that it looks nothing like the sugar beet or cane that it came from, and contains none of the nutrients or fiber in the raw vegetables; everything except the 5 and 6-carbon sugars has been separated out. Sugars are the "empty" calories that cause diabetes and make us fat, as a couple common examples. Sugar is a typical additive in processed food. We can do a lot for ourselves and our planet by minimizing processed foods and sticking mainly with natural plant-based foods in their natural states. Processing of foods is 1.8% of our carbon footprint, so avoiding them can reduce our carbon footprint up to 1.8%. Reducing processed food in your diet by half can reduce your carbon footprint by 0.9%.

3. Pesticides. In the U.S., 613,000 metric tonnes of pesticides are manufactured and applied to our land each year, in a $21.4 billion dollar industry.  The general category of pesticides covers pretty much all of the poisons we apply to agricultural land and within our homes, gardens and yards, as well as our own skin (think DEET, yes, we’re really that stupid), for the purpose of killing or deterring that life that we deem “pests”.  This includes insecticides intended to directly kill any wildlife that may dare to venture onto cropland and even think about taking a bite out of the crops that we replaced their original food with, including, but not limited to, insects, birds, and caterpillars that would later become butterflies if we didn’t poison them first, as well as the butterflies themselves.  This category also includes the herbicides intended to kill the pesky weeds, which are often the original native plants that used to live in the fields and lawns before we commandeered them for our crops, lawns and gardens.  While it’s true that some of these so-called “weeds” are truly invasive, it’s also true that herbicides don’t distinguish between “natives” and “invasives”.  When applied, they kill pretty much everything in their path.  While the actual CO2 emissions of manufacturing pesticides is fairly small, the damage they do to the environment and wildlife is enormous. Organic agriculture doesn't use synthetic pesticides, so consuming organic goes a long way towards helping our decimated wildlife recover.

4. Food Waste. The U.S. EPA estimated that more than 66 million tons of food were wasted in the U.S. in 2019, which is 30 – 40% of our food.^22,23  More than 60% was sent to landfill, where it decomposed anaerobically, releasing methane gas and adding nearly 1% to our carbon footprint.  The total cost of the wasted food averages about $400 per person per year, depending on where you live.^23,24  Given these realities, you can save up to 40% of your food CO2e emissions by simply not wasting food. You can also reduce CO2e by another 1% by not wasting food, since landfill emissions are also reduced.

5. Beef, Lamb and Dairy are by far the biggest emitters by far of CO₂e per pound of food. And, we eat far more than we need, to the extent that we're sickening ourselves as our poor eating habits catch up with us later in life. Cutting back significantly will improve health, save money and significantly cut your carbon footprint of food. It will also free up land for wildlife, particularly in the west, while also saving the tremendous quantities of water that are consumed for livestock feed crops.

6. Obesity. About 38% of the U.S. population is obese, which is defined as 30% or more of excess body weight. Of course, 30% is the minimum, and many obese people drag around a lot more weight than that, averaging probably 50% or more. Ironically, more people are dying of obesity-related conditions than hunger these days. If you're fat, lose weight. You'll live longer, be healthier, save money and cut your carbon footprint of food by 30% or more across the board.

7. Grow Your Own. Gardening is no longer limited to homeowners. Community gardens are springing up everywhere. Growing your own food is intensely satisfying and empowering, and gets you outside doing something healthy. Also, you have complete control over how the food is grown, so you can grow organically and regeneratively. Tuck in some native plants around the edges of your plots and among the vegetables, so that native pollinators have something to eat and places to lay eggs.

8. Buy Local. Hit those Farmer's Markets, and challenge yourself to consume as much in-season, fresh veggies as possible. Plan meals around what's available. Have fun. Local growers tend to use little, if any poisons, mainly because most don't want to expose themselves to it. If you're unsure, ask them. At farmer's markets, you can talk to the actual farmers, know that you're keeping money local instead of sending it off to a faceless ultra-wealthy corporation, and you'll meet other locals doing the same thing. More progressive grocery stores are stocking as much local products as possible, because their shoppers are demanding it. Check the stores you shop at, and if you don't see local products, talk to the manager. After all, you're the customer.

Julie's Food Print

Getting back to the CO₂e percentages in Table 1, let's go through each category to see how Hilary and I are doing.

·       Agriculture – Since meat and dairy comprise less than 5% of our diets, and less than 5% of our food is toxically produced, we can safely reduce our non-combustion emissions of agriculture by 95%.  Livestock and their feed comprise 60% of the agricultural land, so we can reduce that carbon by 95% of 60%, or 57%.  Also, we’re not obese, because we don’t overeat, so we can reduce the other agricultural categories by 10%.

·       Fertilizers – Less than 5% of our food is toxically produced, mainly when we eat out at a restaurant, reducing fertilizers by 95%.

·       Food Processing – Our processed food is limited mainly to a little bread and pasta, well as vegan cheese, also alcoholic beverages, and comprises at most 20% of our food, so this category is reduced by 80%.

·       Pesticides – By the same reasoning as our fertilizer reduction, our pesticides are reduced by 95%.

·       Landfills – Since we send nothing to landfills, instead choosing to compost, this entire category is zero emissions for us, eliminating 0.6% of our CO₂e.

·       Electricity and Natural Gas Transmission – We can reduce the energy consumption footprint by 10% since we are not part of the Americans who overeat.

All in, we’ve reduced our carbon footprint of food by a total of 14.8%, down to 5.9%, from 20.7% for an average U.S. citizen.  Not bad against a goal of 80% reduction.  Again, we eat very well, we’re healthy, and we probably spend less on our food than average.  It can be done and it’s not hard.  Just think about that.  We can actually reduce our carbon footprint almost instantly and probably reverse our disastrous loss of wildlife in short order by simply following decent eating practices that prioritize our quality of life and that of the planet at the same time.  While even saying “no” to a significant share of big corp dominance.  How can you argue with that?

You can start by simply writing out your own food practices, and chipping away, one meat, dairy, or overprocessed toxic product at a time.  You may even be partway there now.  And this is just the food.  Imagine what we can do when we tackle all the other categories!