Today, some tips from our reader Geneviève Demers under the magnifying glass of Catherine Houssard, scientific coordinator and analyst at CIRAIG
Geneviève Demers’ tips
Geneviève Demers’ family, in Gatineau, has gradually revised their eating habits: group buying organic foods in bulk, basket of organic vegetables, reduction of packaging, purchase of local and eco-responsible meat, freezing of local fruits and vegetables for the winter … She also takes care to avoid food waste and to reduce her meat consumption.
Catherine Houssard’s comments
Favoring the purchase of local, organic and bulk foods is a choice that seems to go without saying to reduce its carbon footprint, but “perceptions are sometimes misleading”, indicates Catherine Houssard straight away.
We must first put into perspective the importance of packaging and transport in the carbon footprint of a Quebecer’s diet: we are talking about 10% on average, compared to 60% for production and 25% for food. losses and waste, emphasizes Mme Houssard. “There are nevertheless strong variations from one food to another, and it is difficult to generalize,” she explains.
If overwrapping is obviously to be avoided, the complete elimination of packaging can be counterproductive, warns Catherine Houssard. Why ? “The packaging protects foods sensitive to shock, temperature or oxidation, thereby reducing food waste,” she explains.
Buying in bulk can also be a “bad idea” if it involves an additional road trip to procure the feed.
“More than the fact that it is local, it is the agricultural production method and the characteristics of the region where the food is produced that change the situation,” continues Catherine Houssard. The Quebec greenhouse tomato, for example, has a higher carbon footprint than a Mexican tomato transported over 4,000 km when the greenhouse is heated with fossil fuels, but the result is reversed as soon as the Quebec greenhouse is heated with energy. renewable. Wheat produced in Quebec has a higher carbon footprint than that of the Canadian Prairies due to the wetter climate, but Quebec’s milk footprint is among the lowest in the world thanks to yields optimized by the know-how of our producers. ”
Finally, contrary to popular belief, the carbon footprint of an organic food is often higher than that of a conventional food due to lower yields, indicates Catherine Houssard. “On the other hand, organic farming has beneficial effects on the health of soils, farmers and biodiversity,” she adds.
Catherine Houssard agrees: for the consumer, it is not easy to navigate. Our reader Geneviève Demers has the right reflex by reducing her waste and her consumption of animal proteins. “To improve the carbon footprint of your diet, it’s the best way to avoid making mistakes,” believes Mme Houssard. And it’s also much less complicated than trying to source 100% locally or become zero waste! ”