Eating well, building soil, and saving the planet through intentional eating choices.
In 2018, I had the privilege of attending a talk by Paul Hawken, editor of Drawdown, the book overview of the collection of research by Project Drawdown- a 30-year plan to reverse global warming. In this book, 100 different solutions were analyzed for their impact, both on carbon and on the global economy. It was an invigorating talk and it’s a book I HIGHLY recommend everyone reads.
This year, I am working on supporting solution #11: Regenerative Agriculture.
Regenerative Agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services. It aims to capture carbon in the soil and above-ground biomass (plants), reversing current global trends of atmospheric accumulation and climate change. All good things for us and the planet!
There are two ways agriculture can support healing our planet:
Mitigation: reducing greenhouse gas release
Sequestration: increasing carbon drawdown
Steps You Can Take to Eat to Support the Earth
“There are more microbes in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the planet! ”
Eat Seasonally
When you choose to eat the food grown locally in your area, you’re eating more nutrient-dense foods, decreasing the demand for foods that are transported hundreds, if not thousands of miles, supporting your local farmers, and shrinking your carbon footprint. Not sure where to start? I love using the Seasonal Food Guide! You input your location and time of year, and it’ll give you a list of foods that are in season, how to find them, and even how to use those foods!
Compost
Over 50% of trash going into landfills could be composted, including food scraps, paper, yard trimmings, and wood! Yearly, 3.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through the production, harvesting, transporting, and packaging of ultimately wasted food. You can reduce your food waste by being more intentional about buying only what you need and composting your food scraps!
Choosing Meat that is Regenerating Land
This is my favorite action because it has so much potential! Animal grazing is an essential part of the nutrient cycle and has the most power to turn dirt back into beautiful, nutrient-dense, soil! Unfortunately, most of the animals in our modern food system have been removed from farmland together and housed in Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The list of problems with industrialized meat production is long, and equally long is the list of problems with meat substitutes like the Impossible Burger. However, regenerative husbandry has the potential to completely transform the planet! Dr. Mark Hyman has recently spoken to experts on his podcast The Doctor’s Farmacy on this topic. Currently, my favorite place to buy regenerative meat is through Force of Nature, however, I encourage you to talk to the farmers at your local farmers market and quiz them about their practices! Local is always better!
“Did you know: Pastures that contain trees sequester 5-10 times as much carbon as pastures that are treeless. f silvopasture expands by roughly 200 million acres by 2050—out of the 2.7 billion acres theoretically suitable for this type of agriculture—then carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 31.2 gigatons”
If you’re interested in learning more, I suggest reading: