Food and climate change: an invisible problem

The next time you're about to bite into a juicy steak, consider the impact your dinner has on global warming.

If the idea that the two are linked comes as a shock to you, that's just the problem. Food and agriculture's contributions to climate change are underreported in newspapers across the country, as a new study out of the Bloomberg School of Public Health shows.

"Yesterday's dinner, tomorrow's weather, today's news? U.S. newspaper coverage of food system contributions to climate change," is the title of a paper published in the journal Public Health Nutrition this month.

From Sept. 25, 2007, to Jan. 28, 2008, the study says, 16 leading U.S. newspapers gave scant coverage to the link between food or agriculture and climate change or global warming.

"We were quite surprised to see just how dramatic the lack of coverage was," Roni Neff, co-author of the study with Iris Chan and Katherine Clegg Smith said.

"Out of 4,582 climate change articles in 16 top circulation U.S. newspapers over a 29 month period, we found that only 2.4 percent even mentioned food or agriculture contributions to climate change, and only a half percent mentioned livestock contributions."

While newspaper coverage has been minor, the problem itself is anything but. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported in 2006 that 18 percent of greenhouse gases worldwide come from livestock production alone.

Carbon dioxide is probably the most notorious of the greenhouse gases because it is so commonly produced in processes integral to our daily routines, like driving cars and heating houses. However, it is crucial to understand the environmental impact of other greenhouse gases as well.

"The food industry has mostly stayed in the climate change shadows compared to other industries such as energy and carmakers," Neff said.

Nitrous oxide and methane are the greenhouse gases most associated with agriculture and food production.

They are emitted through manure, fertilizers and enteric fermentation - the process through which bacteria break down plants in cows' stomachs, producing methane as a byproduct of digestion.

Carbon dioxide contributes to the total emission of greenhouse gases as well, through transportation and manufacturing.

Neff saw the discrepancy between the magnitude of the emissions and public perceptions as a chance to figure out how to better communicate with the public.

"I wanted to see the extent to which this and other related messages about food impacts on climate change were getting out to the public," Neff explained.

"We wanted to know both how much the public was hearing and to learn about what they were hearing.?Learning this information can help shape more effective messages in the future."

But these messages aren't going to send themselves, which is where government and business can help.

"Major changes are needed and are relatively unlikely without significant public buy-in," Neff said.

"We can't expect buy-in or behavior change without basic awareness of the problem, as well as communication about possible ways to address it."

It also important to note, however, that the government and businesses have the potential to mislead consumers.

"As we move into the next phase, as communications about food contributions to climate change do increase, it will be important to ensure that accurate messages are getting out," Neff said.?

"There is a history of other industries promoting messages that serve their purposes but that are either inaccurate, serve to promote doubt or confusion or that prioritize actions in ways that experts would not agree with."

So be wary of inaccurate messages, and don't underestimate the power of the individual. There are some things you can do to reduce the negative impact of your interactions with the food system and benefit yourself at the same time.

"The number one action we can take to reduce food greenhouse gas emissions is cutting back on red meat.?This has important nutritional benefits, as excess red meat consumption is associated with a host of negative health impacts," Neff said.

Don't worry, carnivores, you have a few other options in case you're still salivating at the sight of your steak. You can avoid highly processed and packaged foods, eat less dairy, eat seasonal foods, try to eat foods that are locally and sustainably produced and eat less in general.

More specifically, check out our local farmer's markets, like Waverly Farmer's Market and Mill Valley Garden and Farmer's Market, to get your hands on some seasonal and local foods that are healthy and delicious.

And of course, spread the word.

"Coverage of food and agriculture's contributions to climate change has been low in the U.S., meaning there is tremendous opportunity to amplify the messages and to mobilize individuals, business, and government for change," Neff said.