Social Action

At the LJS, we are excited to share that we are undertaking the EcoJudaism audit (read page 7 the January/February edition of LJS News here) with the ultimate goal of becoming an attributed EcoSynagogue.

Are you vegetarian, vegan or a proponent of the view that a healthy mix

of everything in moderation is the best option?

In this ‘Eco Corner’ we shed light on the environmental consequences of various diets and suggest ways to mitigate their impact. The website of the Vegetarian Society underscores the urgency of addressing our resource consumption, arguing that ‘we are consuming the planet’s natural resources faster than the Earth can replenish them, and without change, by 2050, we will need the equivalent of three planets’ resources to meet our current needs.’ (United Nations, 2019; Berners-Lee et al., 2018).

A pivotal study published in Nature Today on 6 March 2023, highlights the significant contribution of food consumption to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the study, ‘Global food consumption alone could add nearly 1°C to warming by 2100; 75% of this warming is driven by foods that are high sources of methane (ruminant meat, dairy and rice). However, over 55% of anticipated warming can be avoided from simultaneous improvements to production practices, the universal adoption of a healthy diet and consumer- and retail-level food waste reductions.’

The article emphasises that addressing the warming impact of the agriculture sector is complex due to the emission of multiple GHGs with varying radiative properties, atmospheric longevities, and emission sources. Carbon dioxide, for instance, can persist in the atmosphere for hundreds of years and is emitted throughout the food supply chain from energy use in cultivation machinery through to product transportation. Methane, which can trap over 100 times more heat than CO₂ on a per-mass basis, but has a shorter atmospheric lifetime of about a decade, is mainly emitted from animal products and rice production through enteric fermentation, manure management, and rice paddy methanogenesis. Nitrous oxide (N₂O), has an even greater heat-trapping potential - over 250 times that of CO₂ - and an atmospheric lifetime of around a century, is released through synthetic fertilizer use, the cultivation of nitrogen-fixing crops, and ruminant excretion on rangelands (Nature Today, 2023).

More agricultural land is used to raise cattle than all other domesticated animals and crops combined (Richie, 2017). A vegetarian diet requires two-and-a-half times less the amount of land needed to grow food compared to a meat-based diet (World Wide Fund for Nature). In the UK, livestock consume more than half of the 20 million tonnes of cereal, accounting for over 50% of wheat and 60% of barley (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, 2021).

The statistics cited by the Vegetarian Society about the relative land use of a plant-based versus meat-based diet are further explored by ‘A Well-Fed World’, an international hunger relief and food security organization. They highlight the inefficiency of feed ratios, noting that animals consume more food than they produce. The feed conversion ratios become even less efficient after accounting for the loss of water, blood, and non-consumable body parts during slaughter and packaging processes.

Choosing grass-fed beef over grain-fed beef, while popular for health and environmental reasons, may actually exacerbate climate change. Ruminant animals like cows, sheep, and goats produce three times more methane when consuming grass and hay due to enteric fermentation. Additionally, the deforestation for grazing land reduces photosynthesis, which is vital for reducing GHGs in the atmosphere (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2006).

According to a 2019 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock now use 30% of the earth's entire land surface, including 33% of global arable land used for producing feed for livestock. This has driven deforestation, especially in Latin America, where 70% of former forests in the Amazon have been converted to grazing land (FAO, 2019).

On a positive note, the website of HomeBiogas states that environmentally friendly dairy cow farming is possible. New studies aim to reduce methane emissions through improved cattle diets, such as seaweed supplements, and the development of vaccines to reduce methane production from enteric fermentation. Selective breeding for feed efficiency and methane reduction also shows promise in reducing agriculture's impact on climate change, though further research and innovation are needed (HomeBiogas).

References:

• United Nations. (2019). United Nations population stats 2019. Retrieved from UN World Population Prospects.
• Berners-Lee, M., et al. (2018). ‘Current global food production is sufficient to meet human nutritional needs in 2050 provided there is radical societal adaptation.’ Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 6(1), 52. Retrieved from Elementa.
• Richie, H. (2017). ‘Agricultural land by global diets.’ Retrieved from Our World in Data.
• World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved from WWF.
• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. (2021). ‘UK annual supply and demand estimates.’ Retrieved from AHDB.
• Food and Agriculture Organization. (2006). ‘Livestock's long shadow.’ Retrieved from FAO.
• The Breakthrough Institute. (2023). ‘Livestock don't contribute 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.’ Retrieved from The Breakthrough Institute.
• HomeBiogas. Retrieved from HomeBiogas.

Do you grow any of your own food? This is the perfect time of year to plant — whether it’s carrots, crocuses, bare-root roses, or whatever else takes your fancy (though hold off planting tulips until temperatures drop a bit).

Allotments are like gold dust in central London, and not everyone has the good fortune to have even a small garden. Still, the question is worth pondering.

The benefits of homegrown food are clear: fresh produce, presumably organically raised, without the environmental impact of long-distance transport, freezing, or the potential for being harvested unripe. True, supermarket product might appear cheaper, but it’s widely acknowledged that supermarket fruit and vegetables are often bland and tasteless. In any case, the cost of many imported goods has risen sharply since the pandemic, and in an era of increasing global tariffs, this trend is likely to continue.

Moreover, in an age of growing global insecurity, many stress the need for increased domestic food production to bolster food security. Hopefully, this vision is too gloomy, and a more immediate benefit lies in the well-documented mental and physical health boost that gardening provides.

If you have just a patio, why not expand the range of what you usually grow in pots with the help of a cold frame? If you don’t have outdoor space, it’s still possible to enjoy the glorious scent of narcissus or hyacinths grown in pots indoors. Or perhaps you could channel your inner Ottolenghi and grow fresh herbs all winter long, on a kitchen windowsill.

Click here to read about the mental and physical health benefits which are graphically explained in an article on the Royal Horticultural Society’s website. The article also includes fascinating details about GoodGym, a UK-based community of people who get fit by doing good. Founded in 2009, GoodGym operates from its headquarters in London and has expanded to 60 urban areas across England and Wales. GoodGymers garden to help local community organizations and isolated older people by performing practical tasks. Maintaining and growing green spaces is one of the environmental missions outlined in the charity’s statement.

Whether or not you have private outdoor space, autumn offers a wonderful opportunity for outdoor activity. London is blessed with an abundance of parks, many of which welcome volunteers and even provide horticultural training opportunities. Check out these links for more information:

https://volunteer.royalparks.org.uk/volunteers/search.htm

https://www.friendsofregentspark.org/the-friends/volunteering/