Beef and legumes, the most popular sources of protein in the animal and plant worlds, respectively, are at opposite extremes in terms of environmental and social impact. There has been a large-scale war playing out over this dilemma – here is a summary of some of the battlegrounds. Continue reading The war over the most critical ethical dilemma
Many large food corporations tout in-house programs for ethical ingredient sourcing, usually represented by a catchy name and a logo. Should we trust, avoid, or ignore them when aiming to make an ethical purchase? Continue reading In-house ethical sourcing logos: trust, avoid or ignore?
Agroforestry involves the integration of forestry and agriculture: producing a crop while maintaining native tree life, as much as possible. It’s a key solution to climate change and biodiversity loss – but how can we best support agroforestry as consumers? Continue reading Agroforestry and how to support it
Cellulose is the most abundant renewable carbon source on the planet. Plants capture more carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from the atmosphere than we humans generate and much of it is stored as cellulose. We need to make better use of this resource instead of burning or wasting it. Here are some examples… Continue reading Why is cellulose so important?
Kernza is a perennial wheatgrass whose deep roots survive in the soil over winter. Patagonia and Cascadian Farm have touted its benefits over annuals such as wheat. But does Kernza hold any promise as a sustainable part of our diet? Continue reading What is Kernza and is it sustainable?
If there were an Oscars for planetary threats, climate change would sweep all the major awards. Interestingly, of all our threats, climate change is one of the most avoidable through individual action. To boil this individual action down to one immediate resolution, it would be to achieve a personal carbon footprint of 7 tonnes CO2 per year, or less. Continue reading Your most important resolution: 7 tonnes CO2
What are the best chicken nuggets from the perspectives of taste and ethics? I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while, but since Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget just came out on Netflix I figure it’s a good time to put this together. Continue reading The tastiest and most ethical plant-based chicken nuggets
In terms of carbon footprint, the best choices among seafood are small pelagic fish (e.g., sardines, herring, mackerel, anchovies), farmed bivalves (e.g., mussels and oysters), and wild salmonids (e.g., salmon and trout). Small fish like sardines are also less prone to bycatch issues. Continue reading What’s the most sustainable kind of seafood?
Honestly Tasty has raised the bar on the plant-based cheeses available in the UK and Ireland. They have achieved this through the use of more interesting ingredients, compared to many vegan cheeses, as well as fermentation and ripening steps. I recommend trying out their Shamembert, Bree, or Blue cheese. Continue reading Honestly Tasty raises the bar on vegan cheese
Sales of plant-based meat substitutes are stagnating in the US – in fact they have been dropping since 2020. Competitive marketing tactics by the meat industry have focused on the perils of ultra-processed food. Continue reading Support for plant-based meat is slipping in America
The Green Stars Project 