Our relationship with the land, what we eat and how we grow it is perhaps the most challenging topic to explore when thinking about Climate Solutions. It reaches beyond the idea of a carbon footprints, woven into a complex web of considerations about natural resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, soil, water, the list goes on.
At a recent pre-COP26 Climate Summit organised by my local MP I was inspired by the speakers from The Earth Trust and Nature Friendly Farming Network who encouraged us to move beyond seeing farms as being just for food production; to also see them as assets for biodiversity, carbon capture and water management. Farmers working to increase the health of our soils, hedgerows, woodlands and water courses by reimagining the way we grow our food and raise our livestock.
The relationship between consumers, suppliers and farmers is complex and can be quite hidden from view. When we choose to buy a ready meal from our local supermarket on our way home after a long day at work we are typically unaware of what the exact ingredients are. Even if we take the time read the tiny print on the packaging it is not obvious where and how the ingredients were produced, what impact this had on the environment. Yet our food consumption habits, what we buy and how much we waste are a critical part of our carbon (and ecological) footprint.
There are some simple things that we can do to reduce our footprint and some of them have more impact than you might think. When I started researching the topic of Food & Land Use, I realised that there are some common misconceptions about what is most important. I have attempted to address this by using a simple pyramid representation, the larger the wedge the bigger the impact. Why not take a look at my latest infographic and find the next simple step to take on your Climate Journey.
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Climate Concepts 