The decisions you make at the grocery store have a direct impact on the environment. Consumers can make a difference and reduce the environmental impact of the food they consume with their shopping choices. We have a lot of power, and our decisions can help lessen the impact on our natural world.
Fifty percent of the world’s habitable land is dedicated to agriculture. Agriculture also requires the use of 70% of the world’s freshwater, and food represents a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture also is responsible for 78% of the freshwater and ocean eutrophication, a term that means polluting water with nutrient-rich substances. Agriculture also has an impact on wildlife — In fact, agriculture has a major influence on the majority of the 28,000 species of wildlife threatened with extinction.
Here’s a closer look at this issue and what you can do at the grocery store to help lessen your impact:
