Climate protection at the dining table

Global warming is happening, that is no longer a secret. Our consumer behaviour, mobility and housing are the main triggers for the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are causing the temperature to rise. The average Swiss person leads a very generous life in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. If the emissions of all people in the world were this high, we would need almost three planets. Scientists are sounding the alarm and warning of dangerous global warming. It seems that this warning is being heard by children and young people in particular. Climate Youth is active worldwide and is campaigning against climate change and in favour of a healthier and greener planet.

Meat - the greatest evil

The fact is that more than two thirds of greenhouse gas emissions caused by food are attributable to animal products. On the one hand, the amount of land used for livestock farming is considerable, while on the other hand, all the feed cultivation for the animals consumes an enormous amount of space, water and energy. The increasing space that is needed is usually gained at the expense of valuable rainforest and biodiverse green spaces, which in turn poses a threat to the climate.

If your son or daughter wants to consume fewer animal products, you as parents may be called upon, especially if the majority of meals are still eaten or prepared at home. Plan fixed meat-free days of the week. Start with one and, if you like it and it tastes good, increase it to several days a week. On average, a meat menu has three times more impact on the environment than a vegetarian menu. A vegan menu does even better. It's also worth trying out the many different vegan alternatives to milk, yoghurt and cream. You will be amazed at how similar some of the products taste.

Cream can be replaced with soya cream. If you now think that soya products are also harmful to the environment, as valuable land has to be used to grow soya - that's true. However, the soya produced is not primarily intended for human consumption, but is used as animal feed. Human soya consumption accounts for a fraction of total soya cultivation.

Is seasonal and regional always better?

Shopping seasonally sounds sensible, but it's not that easy these days as everything is always available. How are you supposed to know that there are no more chillies from Switzerland if they are available all year round? Seasonal tables and various apps, such as the WWF guide app, can help with climate-friendly shopping. Regionality also takes centre stage. However, it is exciting to see that the transport of products, with the exception of air transport, has a smaller impact on the climate. What we eat, for example fewer animal products, is therefore much more important than where they are grown.
If you prefer to buy seasonal fruit and vegetables, you can be sure that they have not travelled long distances and have been grown without "artificial" heating. This is because the CO2 emissions of a heated greenhouse are comparable to products that are flown in. If you fancy tomatoes in winter and buy Swiss tomatoes, they will perform worse than tomatoes from Spain, which have ripened naturally. In winter, it is advisable to avoid fresh tomatoes altogether and consume tinned tomatoes. Or even better: make tomato sauce in advance in summer and freeze it - the summer flavours are guaranteed.

We talk about food waste when food that was actually intended for consumption ends up in the bin. Around a third(!) of the food produced worldwide is thrown away. The production, processing and disposal of this food consumes energy and pollutes our environment. At the same time, other people in the world have too little to eat.

Food waste already takes place during the production of the products: Unshapely vegetables and fruit are discarded. Another major source of food waste occurs during the processing of the products. Depending on the harvest, there may be overproduction that needs to be eliminated. Quality defects can occur, which must also be rectified by throwing them away. Or by-products are created during processing that nobody wants, which also have to be disposed of.

Start with small steps

Last in the chain are we consumers, who also dispose of a large proportion of food. This happens because we buy too much, shop unplanned without checking the fridge beforehand or overestimate our hunger and cook too much. Flexible menu plans and shopping lists shorten your time in the supermarket and ensure that nothing or less unnecessary food is bought. Leftovers can usually be easily frozen or reheated the next day.

There are many different ways to eat in a more climate-friendly way. In most cases, our eating habits are so familiar that it is difficult to make lasting changes. Start with small steps and let your climate children and young people infect you with their euphoria and belief in change.

Exciting facts

• Four-fifths of Switzerland's water consumption is used outside the country. This is in countries that already suffer from water shortages, e.g. in Spain for irrigating tomatoes.
• It takes 17 times more water to produce one kilogramme of beef than one kilogramme of maize.
• Only 34 out of every 100 potatoes harvested are eaten, the rest are discarded.
• We produce 92 kilograms of food waste per capita every year.
• The environmental impact of food waste in Switzerland corresponds to 50 percent of the environmental impact of motorised private transport.