LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – You might’ve heard of “Meatless Mondays,” or maybe even “Vegan Before Six.”
More consumers are making food choices with sustainability in mind, and more companies are taking the carbon-footprint cue.
Brian Kateman’s typical lunch is completely different than what he used to eat. He largely cut out meat after learning how damaging it is to the environment.
Nearly 15% of all greenhouse emissions come from meat production.
“It takes a lot of resources. You think of the land, you think of the water, you think of all the food you have to feed to the animals,” said Kateman.
Kateman turned his own curiosity about eating less meat into a documentary and coined the term “Reducetarian,” meaning cutting back, not cutting out.
“I think it’s a more tolerable idea to cut back rather than necessarily go vegan or vegetarian,” said Kateman.
The food production industry is paying attention to these trends, trying to latch on to younger consumers.
“It’s a competitive advantage for companies to be seen as at the forefront of doing something about climate change,” said marketing expert Michelle Greenwald.
While there’s no single standard for carbon footprint labeling, some restaurant chains are touting their efforts right on their menus.
Panera identifies its low-carbon entrees with a “Cool Food Meal” symbol and “Just Salad” offers a “Climatarian” filter on its app.
“There’s going to be more carbon footprint labeling on food, and I think it’s going to be a factor in how consumers make choices about what to eat,” said Greenwald.
For Kateman, it starts with a swap
“I eat the same foods that I love, I just swap in plant-based ingredients,” said Kateman.
