Most food related greenhouse emissions are caused during the agricultural stage. Depending on the product this can be as high as 80% of the total CO₂-value. Important emissions are nitrous oxide related to fertilizer use and methane emissions related to animal production. Both have a much stronger impact on our climate than CO₂. To compare the climate impact of different food items we recalculate the impact of all greenhouse gases into and equivalent amount of CO₂. In general, animal products are related to higher emissions than plant products. One reason is the methane emissions that come from the digestion tract of cows and other ruminants. Another important reason is the amount of fodder needed to feed the animals and the relatively inefficient conversion of fodder protein into animal protein. Much more protein would be available if we shift our diet towards including more plant based proteins. Looking at a similar climate impact we can eat either 1 kg of pork or 12 kg of high protein chick peas.
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