Eat Less Meat
The 3 Rs of Eating for a Better Planet
- REDUCE: Reduce our consumption of meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal-based products.
- REPLACE: Replace animal-based foods in our diet with plant-based foods.
- REFINE: Refine any animal products we do consume by avoiding foods from factory farms. (From Food is the Solution, 20)
Eat Local Food
“Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home.” - Wendell Berry
It is estimated that most meals in the United States travel an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate. When you purchase produce directly from your local farmer, you get the freshest produce possible, support the local economy, dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels in transport, generate fewer greenhouse gases, and by shortening the food chain you help reduce the waste often associated with conventional food distribution, warehousing, and merchandising.
Eat Organic
- Organic produce is grown in living soil to maximize nutrition.
- Organic produce contains no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
- Organic food considers the broader ecosystem impacts.
- Organic farming is a baseline, not the best we can do.
- Organically raised animals are not given preventative antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts.
- Organic practices reduce public health risks to farm workers by minimizing their exposure to toxic and persistent chemicals on the farm.
