Brightly recorded that an average Thanksgiving dinner produces approximately 103 pounds of CO2. Typically, the Thanksgiving table is dominated by meat and dairy products, which cause significant environmental strains on the supply system.

Brightly’s report aims to raise awareness during the holiday season by asking people to consider introducing more eco-friendly and plant-based options without abandoning all of their traditional dishes. The report is meant to visualize the impact that a single dinner can have on the planet, further advocating for plant-based and eco-friendly solutions beyond the Thanksgiving table.

“No one is expected to forgo their favorite holiday dishes in order to reduce their carbon footprint, but we can all take small steps in order to make it a more planet-friendly feast,” Co-Founder and CMO of Brightly Liza Moiseeva said. “We recommend making vegetable stuffing instead of pork stuffing, using non-dairy swaps in some of your recipes, and cooking the meal all at once. It’s common to cook dishes ahead of time to reheat later, but that increases the carbon emissions associated with cooking.”

Make Your Thanksgiving More Sustainable

Brightly presents a six-step solution to the environmental problems that stem from Thanksgiving dinner. The report suggests that American consumers make vegetable stuffing, leave behind roast beef, cut down on dairy, cook in unison, defrost overnight to save water and energy, and add more veggies, especially as an alternative to Turkey.

The eco-friendly publication determined that a typical 20-pound turkey would account for 64 pounds of the total 103 pounds of CO2 emissions during Thanksgiving dinner. Between the animal agriculture supply chain and the energy it takes to cook a Thanksgiving turkey, it ranks as the most environmentally harmful dish on the table.

Read More: Your Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide: 50+ Plant-Based Recipes

Experts predict that 4.5 million plant-based turkeys will be served on Thanksgiving. With this in mind, a previous study concluded that a turkey dinner produces twice the greenhouse gas emissions as a vegan nut roast, meaning that omitting turkey from the table could slash the carbon footprint almost in half.

Some other signature dishes that Brightly suggest being made plant-based include:

• Stuffing: 25 pounds of C02)
• Mashed Potatoes: 9 pounds of CO2
• Cranberry Sauce: 2 pounds of CO2
• Pie: 3 pounds of CO2

By cutting the dairy and meat ingredients, Brightly intends to lift the disproportionate environmental burden from a single holiday dinner.

Eating Plant-Based to Protect The Planet

A recent study from the scientific journal Nature Food concluded that meat production is responsible for 57 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, more than twice the level that plant-based food production generates. The alarming statistic is a key motivation for Brightly’s report to promote a national shift to plant-based, sustainable foods.

“The emissions are at the higher end of what we expected, it was a little bit of a surprise,”  Climate Scientist at the University of Illinois and co-author Atul Jain wrote in the report published in Nature Food. “This study shows the entire cycle of the food production system, and policymakers may want to use the results to think about how to control greenhouse gas emissions.”

Avoiding beef and dairy products is necessary to curb the dangerous consequences of climate change, according to research claiming methane is 80 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres even claimed that to avoid a climate “disaster” then the world needed to turn to plant-based solutions.

The UN-funded think tank Chatham House released a report last year that claims the best thing that consumers can do for the environment is reduce meat and dairy purchases and incorporate more plant-based diets. The report states that “the largest differences occur between animal-sourced and plant-sourced foods, with the latter having smaller footprints; in some cases, substantially smaller.”

For more planetary happenings, visit The Beet’s Environmental News articles. 

Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based

1. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he’s been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.

2. Sia

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you’re already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is “fully vegan now” back in 2014 and stays true to her word

3. Sandra Oh

Way back at the start of Grey’s Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.

4. Gisele Bündchen

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of “cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos,” according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a “mostly” plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.

5. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he’s been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.

7. Pamela Anderson

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.

8. Kristen Stewart

“We shouldn’t eat as much meat guys,” Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show “Hot Ones” she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.

9. Jared Leto

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him “shredded” in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.

10. Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn’t eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn’t stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.

11. Meghan Markle

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.

12. Serena Williams

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim’s successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot “healthier” for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.

13. John Mackey

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.

14. Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I’m Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is “Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil.”

15. Leona Lewis

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women’s Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.

16. Hannah Teter

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how “horrible” factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.

17. Maggie Q,

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she’s well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.

18. Madelaine Petsch,

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was “trendy” and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel “healthier” and not “lethargic.”

19. Millie Bobbi Brown

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.

20. Chloe and Halle Bailey

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their “voices in shape” by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.

21. Hilary Duff

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, “Day Dreamer” and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.

The post How to Lower the Carbon Footprint of Your Thanksgiving Meal appeared first on The Beet.

Nut butter is simply ground-up nuts, with the most popular options being peanuts, cashews, or almonds. The natural oils of the nuts release as it’s broken down, which gives it a smooth consistency (or buy it chunky if that’s your preference). These nut butters can go great in smoothies, baked goods, or as sauces and dressings.

The true question remains, is one nut butter better than another? We’re breaking down the difference between almond, peanut, and cashew butter so you can determine which you’ll be grabbing on your next grocery trip.

What’s the Healthiest Nut Butter? Here’s How They Rank

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Almond Butter

Almond butter is the perfect swap for peanut butter if you’re looking to switch things up. The consistency and thickness are comparable, but you’re getting a little extra boost of nutrients like calcium and potassium. Almond butter goes well with sweet treats or savory meals, for example, many Asian-inspired dishes use nut butter in sauces. Just be sure to grab a jar that contains the only ingredient you need — dry roasted almonds.

One downfall that may make many people avoid purchasing almond butter is the impact that it can have on the environment (more on that below).

What is Almond Butter Made Of?

A good quality almond butter will use dry roasted almonds and skip any filler ingredients. Keep your eyes peeled on the ingredients label for unnecessary additions which include:

• Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil: These oils are what can keep nut butter on the shelf for long periods of time, but they are also not so great for our health. The American Heart Association recommends avoiding any foods that contain “partially hydrogenated oils” (also called trans fats) because they are known to increase LDL or “bad” cholesterol while decreasing your “good” HDL cholesterol.
• Salt: While it’s ok to enjoy a little bit of salt here and there, it can be hard to track how much you’ve consumed when it’s added to food. According to the CDC, 70 percent of salt intake doesn’t come from the salt shaker, but rather processed foods.
• Added sugar: Whether it’s cane sugar, brown sugar, molasses, or syrups — grabbing almond butter with the addition of sugar can bump up the calories and could eventually lead to health issues down the road.
• Milk: While it’s uncommon to see dairy in nut butter, it’s not totally off the wall. You’ll often see milk added to the powdered almond butter or specialty brands that want to boost the protein content.

Almond Butter Nutritional Information

According to the USDA, 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of unsalted almond butter contains:

Calories: 98 kcal

Protein: 3.36 grams

Calcium: 55.5 mg

Potassium: 120 mg

Magnesium: 44.6 mg

When it comes to healthy fats, almond butter provides 5 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids and 2 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It’s also lower in saturated fatty acids, the type that you want to limit in your diet, compared to the other nut butter at 0.66 grams per tablespoon.

Is Almond Butter bad for the environment?

While almond butter can bring several nutritional benefits to our health, what is it doing to the environment? Around 80 percent of the almonds sold worldwide come from the state of California, a location that has the perfect environment to grow almonds but also deals with droughts. The problem here is that to produce only 16 almonds, you need 15 gallons of water.

When you deal with a drought, you don’t have water, and without water, the almonds aren’t produced. This leaves farmers turning to underground aquifers which are hard to refill and causes the land above it to start sinking. When that happens, the aquifers can’t hold as much water as they once could.

Fortunately, in 2015, the Accelerated Innovation Management Program was launched and is working on improving the sustainability of almond growing, and coming up with innovative ways to improve water management and efficiency. Plus, growing almonds creates much less greenhouse gas emissions and uses less land than dairy.

Peanut Butter

When you take those ballpark peanuts, remove their shells, and grind them up, that’s when you wind up with peanut butter! This versatile nut butter goes well in smoothies, dressings, and even soups.

Unlike almonds, peanuts are extremely environmentally friendly. According to the U.S. Sustainability Alliance, every single part of the peanut is utilized. The hulls (or shells) are used for animal feed and the vines from the plant are added to the soil to help enrich it with nitrogen. They also don’t require much irrigation water, because they are grown in the southeast regions of the US that provide plenty of rain.

What is Peanut Butter Made Of?

Just like every other nut butter, all peanut butter needs is dry-roasted peanuts and a quality food processor to turn it into a tasty paste. You’ll often see these versions labeled as “natural” peanut butter, but don’t let that fool you. Always check the ingredient list to be sure.

Is Peanut Butter Healthy?

Many commercial peanut butter brands will include additives that keep the peanut butter lasting longer and tasting better.

Take a popular brand of peanut butter for example. Its website indicates that the creamy peanut butter version includes:

• Roasted peanuts
• Sugar
• Molasses
• Hydrogenated vegetable oils
• Salt

This brings the total sugar content up to 2 grams of added sugar, the saturated fat at 3.5 grams, and the sodium to 140 mg per 2 tablespoons.

Even their “natural” version contains similar ingredients, with the website indicating that it contains 90 percent peanuts (with the leftover 10 percent being filled with additional ingredients).

Peanut Butter Nutritional Information

The USDA lists 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of unsalted, smooth peanut butter to contain:

Calories: 95.5 kcal

Protein: 3.55 grams

Calcium: 7.85 mg

Potassium: 26.9 mg

Magnesium: 26.9 mg

A quick glance back at the almond butter nutrient breakdown shows that peanut butter contains significantly less calcium and potassium than almond butter, but it has comparable fat content at 4 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids and 2 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unfortunately, peanut butter is a little higher in saturated fats at 1.65 grams per tablespoon.

Cashew Butter

Last, but surely not least, is cashew butter. This nut provides a butter, salty, and almost sweet taste that pairs well with a variety of recipes you would use both almond and peanut butter for.

When you go shopping for cashew butter, you may notice the price tag is on the high end compared to the other two nut butters. That’s because cashews are grown in a toxic shell that we cannot eat, therefore the processing takes much longer. Not to mention, they are only able to be harvested once per year.

What is Cashew Butter Made Of?

Again, all it takes is a simple blend of a food processor and you wind up with cashew butter. It only requires the solo ingredient, but many companies may include salt, sugar, and oil additives. Avoid reaching for a cashew butter that is “with honey” or “with cinnamon” and instead find the ingredient list that is short and sweet.

Cashew Butter Nutritional Information

According to the USDA, 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of unsalted cashew butter contains:
Calories: 93.9 kcal

Protein: 2.82 grams

Calcium: 6.88 mg

Potassium: 87.4 mg

Magnesium: 41.3 mg

Cashew butter is also comparable to peanut and almond butter when it comes to fat breakdown. It contains a little more monounsaturated fatty acids at almost 5 grams but has less polyunsaturated fatty acids at just over 1 gram. It relates more to peanut butter when it comes to saturated fat, containing 1.56 grams per tablespoon. Of the 3 options, it has the lowest amount of protein (but not by much!).

Bottom Line: The healthiest nut butter for you depends on your lifestyle.

All of these nut butter options bring various benefits to the table. If you’re looking for additional nutrients and healthy fats, try almond or cashew butter. If you’d prefer to choose a food that’s more sustainable, peanut butter is the best for the planet. Just be sure to nix the options that have unnecessary filler ingredients, and know that each nut butter packs a calorie punch.

Wondering what the best vegan butter brands are? We’ve got you covered! Read our page about the 5 best vegan butters and find one that suits your taste today.

For more expert advice, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. 

The post What Is the Healthiest Nut Butter? A Nutritionist Answers appeared first on The Beet.

“’Waste’ is a relatively modern concept,” Piper explains. “So many traditional recipes use ingredients we now consider cast-offs because [until recently] waste was not a concept in the fabric of society. So, exploring some low- or zero-waste recipes that utilize scraps – and changing what you see as ‘waste’ is a really helpful North Star in this journey,” she adds.

7 easy ways to reduce food waste at home

Despite how simple it seems to reduce food waste, the issue remains a huge problem in our country. According to the USDA, food waste is believed to account for 30 to 40 percent of the overall food supply. As nonprofit organization Feeding America reports, that amounts to 108 billion pounds of food wasted each year in the United States, or roughly $408 billion in discarded food that never even makes it to our plates — or our stomachs — every year. That ends up in landfills and oceans and contributes to the overproduction of food in the system.

One way to reduce waste is by going plant-based since avoiding animal products helps reduce food waste in the food supply. Current methods of farming and animal agriculture account for an estimated 57 percent of the greenhouse gases that are linked to food production and contribute to climate change. Part of this detrimental impact on the environment can be attributed to waste in the food system at every stage. Beyond that, read on for more great tips to slash food waste without even trying.

1. Create an “eat this first” section in your fridge

In culinary school, it’s called “FIFO,” or First In, First Out, referring to using up ingredients that first made it to the refrigerator that needs to be used up before you reach for others. The same applies to home fridges. “The best way to cut down on food waste is to create an ‘eat this first’ section in your fridge. Keep leftovers and any other food that is about to go bad in a high-traffic area of your fridge,” says Megan McSherry, sustainability educator and creator of acteevism.com. “If you get into the habit of looking at this area first before looking at any other items in the fridge, it’s harder to forget about food until it’s too late.”

Most refrigerators have two product drawers, Kate Flynn, founder and CEO of a sustainable health food company, Sun & Swell points out. “Use one of them for produce that’s going bad soon that you need to eat in the next few days and the other for produce that has more time.”

2. Learn how to compost

When organic materials like food waste go to the landfill, not only do they require significant resources to get there, but they also do not biodegrade as they should (landfills are notoriously devoid of light, oxygen, and microorganisms needed for biodegrading) and release more methane into the atmosphere, Piper explains. “Starting to compost will not only help divert food waste from landfills but helps you to understand the scale of your at-home food waste,” she adds.

“So long as you have a little outdoor space, composting is a great way to turn your food scraps back into soil that replenishes mother earth to ensure they don’t end up in landfills,” Flynn adds, Get started with composting basics from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. You can also reduce food waste by growing fruits and vegetables from kitchen scraps.

3. Use your freezer smartly

“Freeze produce that is past its prime for smoothies or juices, suggests McSherry. “Store soups in containers or veggie ‘meatballs’ in ice cube trays to be thawed and cooked at a later date. Freeze mushy bananas to turn into ‘nice’ cream.”

Have extra fresh herbs on hand that you can’t use before they wilt? Nisha Vora, vegan recipe developer behind Rainbow Plant Life and author of The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, recommends freezing them in olive oil. “All you need to do is chop up the herbs, portion them out into an ice-cube tray, then add olive oil and freeze,” she says. “They’ll last for months in your fridge, and you can pop them right into a frying pan as the base of a flavorful sauce.”

4. Consider buying or making upcycled foods

Upcycled foods simply refer to foods or packaged products made from ingredients that otherwise would not have been eaten.  For instance, broccoli stems (add a little salt and chop up for a quick snack; nothing better), using pulp from juiced produce in baked goods, and making carrot top pesto, are all upcycled food ideas.

Vora suggests this easy recipe: “[Boil carrot tops] for two-and-a-half minutes, then plunge them into an ice bath. Once they’re dry, add them to a food processor with olive oil, pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast for a delicious vegan pesto,” she says, noting you can also do the same thing with the greens from beets or radishes.

You can also buy packaged goods from brands that use upcycled ingredients. “To help reduce food waste, consumers can educate themselves on sustainable food options and support businesses that are helping to create a better future for the planet. There are so many great food companies that are dedicated to creating eco-friendly products,” says Caroline Cotto, co-founder of Renewal Mill, an upcycled plant-based baking company. For instance, Renewal Milk’s Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix is made with upcycled organic okara flour, which they make from upcycling the soybean pulp generated during the production of soy milk. “By upcycling the soybean pulp that would otherwise go to waste and release greenhouse gases which cause global warming,” she adds.

5. Make a plant-based grazing board for a meal

“Make a grazing board for a meal. Charcuterie boards are so pretty to make and so much fun to eat,” suggests Jen Panaro, founder, and editor of Honestly Modern, an online space dedicated to eco-friendly family living for families. “Grazing boards are a perfect way to turn all the odds and ends and leftovers in your fridge and cabinet into a wholesome meal,” she says. You can check out our tips to make a perfect plant-based charcuterie board.

6. Track how much food you waste in a week

This strategy can change your perspective and your day-to-day food practices. “Knowing how much food you waste may help you be more proactive about reducing your food waste. Try doing a food waste audit and tracking all the food you throw away or compost for a week,” says Panaro. “This experiment can be quite eye-opening and also help you better understand what types of food you most often waste.”

This experiment will teach you the importance of meal planning to reduce food waste. So take extra pains to work on creating meal plans for your week and make a grocery list that sticks to that outline. Adds Panaro: “A bit of planning goes a long way toward reducing the food that we purchase with great intentions, but gets left in the back of the fridge to rot or spoil and eventually end up in our trash.”

7. Buy food that’s headed for the dumpster

This is a win for businesses, which can get rid of products that are otherwise headed for the trash, and consumers, who can save money on gently bruised fruit and vegetables. The movement of imperfect food sourcing is continuing to grow and you can now try apps like Flashfood that lets users score big savings on fresh foods that are nearing their best, as well as Too Good To Go, an app that allows to receive unsold food from restaurants and supermarkets near you.

Companies like Misfits Markets “rescue foods in real-time” from being thrown away at grocers and Imperfect Food, which sells food that’s gotten rejected from grocery stores for reasons like cosmetic imperfections or because they have a surplus already and sells these items directly to consumers.

Bottom Line: It’s possible to cut down on food waste with 7 easy tips

Food waste accounts for up to 40 percent of all the food produced in this country. To lower your carbon footprint, practice these easy sustainable lifestyle choices.

The post 7 Genius Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home appeared first on The Beet.

For concerned individuals the world over, the solution could be as easy as eating more plant-based foods. Through a multinational research effort, experts published a new study that proposes that a plant-based diet could provide wealthy countries with a “double climate dividend”– reversing some dangerous consequences of animal agriculture.

The researchers published the new study entitled “Dietary change in high-income nations alone can lead to substantial double climate dividend” in Nature Food. The experts explain that a plant-based diet could cut greenhouse gases by 61 percent while also maximizing carbon sequestration. The process would virtually reverse dangerous emissions that can be attributed to the animal agriculture industries globally.

When discussing plant-based diets, the study addresses both individual action and governmental action, highlighting how the two need to corroborate for this to be effective. The introduction of a plant-based food system would also free land to be rewilded, cutting the dangerous impacts of deforestation.

The responsibility falls on wealthier nations, noting that the governments have the power to significantly undercut dangerous greenhouse emissions. The study also explains how the possible carbon sequestration could match 14 years of current global agricultural emission, substantially helping curb the harmful byproducts of industries like meat and dairy production.

The study bases its research on the EAT-Lancet system – a diet that makes plant-based food the priority while recognizing some room for animal-based foods. The diet emphasizes that whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes should comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed. The plant-based diet would significantly decrease the excessive waste that comes from the meat and dairy industries. The study claims that if 54 of the highest income countries would adopt this diet, people could help save the planet.

“A dietary shift from animal-based foods to plant-based foods in high-income nations could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from direct agricultural production and increase carbon sequestration if resulting spared land was restored to its antecedent natural vegetation,” the report reads. “We estimate this double effect by simulating the adoption of the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet by 54 high-income nations representing 68 percent of global gross domestic product and 17 percent  of the population.”

Several other studies have placed the responsibility to stop the climate crisis on animal agriculture. Beyond the UN’s “code red” warning last year, another Nature Food study found that meat farming is responsible for 57 percent of greenhouse gases attributed to food production. The alarming figure can be decreased with government action from the high-income countries worldwide. Currently, 20 livestock companies produce more emissions than full countries including Germany and France.

A team of researchers from the University of Oxford recently found that a vegan diet can potentially reduce a single person’s carbon footprint by 73 percent. The study makes it clear that without dietary change or new food production industries, it will be impossible to stop global warming from hitting the dangerous 1.5 or even 2°C limits.

While it is a massive task to promote plant-based systems worldwide, several campaigns including the Plant Based Treaty have launched initiatives. In direct response to the UN’s warning last year, the Plant-Based Treaty adopt the Paris Agreement to prioritize plant-based innovations at a government level. The campaign promoted a sustainable diet, claiming it could be the key to successfully slowing down rising carbon levels and global temperatures.

“As a companion to the UNFCCC/Paris Agreement, The Plant Based Treaty initiative is a grassroots campaign designed to put food systems at the forefront of combating the climate crisis. Modeled on the popular Fossil Fuel Treaty, the Plant-Based Treaty aims to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and to promote a shift to healthier, sustainable plant-based diets,” the campaign’s website states. “We are urging scientists, individuals, groups, businesses, and cities to endorse this call to action and put pressure on national governments to negotiate an international Plant Based Treaty.”

Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based

1. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he’s been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.

2. Sia

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you’re already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is “fully vegan now” back in 2014 and stays true to her word

3. Sandra Oh

Way back at the start of Grey’s Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.

4. Gisele Bündchen

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of “cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos,” according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a “mostly” plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.

5. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he’s been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.

7. Pamela Anderson

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.

8. Kristen Stewart

“We shouldn’t eat as much meat guys,” Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show “Hot Ones” she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.

9. Jared Leto

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him “shredded” in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.

10. Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn’t eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn’t stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.

11. Meghan Markle

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.

12. Serena Williams

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim’s successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot “healthier” for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.

13. John Mackey

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.

14. Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I’m Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is “Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil.”

15. Leona Lewis

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women’s Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.

16. Hannah Teter

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how “horrible” factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.

17. Maggie Q,

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she’s well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.

18. Madelaine Petsch,

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was “trendy” and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel “healthier” and not “lethargic.”

19. Millie Bobbi Brown

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.

20. Chloe and Halle Bailey

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their “voices in shape” by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.

21. Hilary Duff

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, “Day Dreamer” and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.

The post Study: Plant-Based Diets Can Slash Greenhouse Gases by Up to 61 Percent appeared first on The Beet.

Greenpeace aims to dismantle these efforts to ignore calls for sustainability improvements. Meat and dairy giants worldwide have been consistently linked to the increasingly worsening environmental crisis. Animal agriculture was named as a top contributor to climate change earlier this year, when the UN released a “Code Red” report that linked the environmental crisis with animal-based food production.

Since then, the animal agriculture giants have distanced themselves from the conversation. Greenpeace intends to rope the corporations back into the dialogue, holding the meat and dairy producers accountable for global environmental damages.

“Care for some lies with that steak?” Greenpeace wrote on its Instagram post, reaching nearly 3.9 million followers with these words. “The world of meat marketing is a happy place. It’s dominated by the color green and populated with idyllic farmhouses and free-range animals on lush pastures. However, behind this carefully constructed dream the meat industry is selling us, lies a different reality: from climate change to forest fires to human rights abuses, the global industrial meat industry leaves a trail of destruction all over the world.”

The campaign launched against animal agriculture is joined by a new study conducted by Greenpeace Denmark. The Instagram post is inspired by the report’s finding that details how major meat and dairy producers have based the marketing campaigns on seven myths to disrupt sustainable action and legislation. The findings assert that meat and dairy giants have launched campaigns claiming that “meat is good for you,” “eating meat is about freedom and choice,” “eating meat is a patriotic act,” or “eating meat brings people together.”

The report also found that the animal agriculture giants have started spreading contrarian claims that include “eating meat makes you more of a man,” “good women prepare and serve meat to their family,” and “meat is part of the climate solution, not the problem.” Greenpeace claims that the animal agricultural industry aims to use these advertorial strategies to sway public opinion against sustainable alternatives. The organization stated that this is not the first time a major industry used these techniques.

“The marketing playbook used by the meat industry is no different from the one deployed by the tobacco or alcohol industries in the last decades,” Greenpeace wrote. “Advertising of tobacco and alcohol has been highly regulated for the well-being of society. Shouldn’t it be about time to also start regulating advertising for the well-being of the whole planet and apply similar restrictions to meat marketing too?”

Greenpeace is working to undercut these false ad campaigns to promote innovation across the food industries worldwide. The organization believes that the meat and dairy corporations are attempting to target vulnerable groups through several means such as nutrition, sexual identity, and patriotism to push against plant-based demand.

Recently, the Good Food Institute issued a life cycle assessment to examine how sustainable plant-based protein production compared to conventional animal-based meat and dairy products. The assessment found that alternative protein produces 86 percent fewer greenhouse gases, used 97 percent less land, and wastes 96 percent less water. The figure clearly indicates the sustainable value of alternative protein in contrast to its environmentally damaging animal-based counterparts.

Other organizations such as The Plant Based Treaty have started working to implement plant-based and sustainable alternatives to the current food systems. The Plant Based Treaty – later recreated by Moby – aims to build off of the Paris Agreement to spotlight how plant-based food systems can be the solution to the worsening climate crisis. The Plant Based Treaty launched after the UN attributed the uncontrollably rising greenhouse gas emissions to dangerous practices in the animal agriculture industry.

“This report makes it clear that rapid, strong, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gases are needed now. We cannot wait two, five, or ten years. It has to be done now,” Director of communications at Plant Based Treaty Nicola Harris said in response to the 2021 UN IPCC report. “We need to transform to a plant-based food system as a matter of urgency if we are to reduce methane to safe levels and slow global warming.”

The Surprising Reasons these Five Country Singers Went Meat-Free

1. Carrie Underwood Loved Her Family’s Farm Animals

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood has been hailed for her “enormous” vocal range. When it comes to her diet, Underwood’s a fan of breakfast burritos and lots of tofu. She doesn’t shy away from the carbs, either. According to Cheat Sheet, one of her favorite snacks is a toasted English muffin with peanut butter.

2. Blake Shelton Wants to Keep Up With His Older Girlfriend

Singer, songwriter, and “The Voice” coach, Blake Shelton, 43, has been working to stay fit recently with help from his long-time love, Gwen Stefani, who is a vegetarian and told him to get off the meat if he wants to feel fitter and lose some weight. Shelton has been trying to keep up with Stefani’s impressive fitness level, according to an interview Stefani gave this fall. The former No Doubt singer and Hollaback girl is a longtime vegetarian, eats a mostly vegan diet, and is super fit– and at 50, looks younger than her years. A source told Gossipcop, “Gwen’s told him the way to lose it is to stay the hell away from meat and bad carbs.” We’re rooting for him!

3. Shania Twain Has the Key to Gorgeous Skin

The best-selling female country music singer in history isn’t buying any expensive steak dinners after a performance. The “Queen of Country Pop” has sold more than 100 million records but says she keeps her meat-free diet simple. She is both vegetarian and eats very little dairy — though at times has said she does eat eggs.

4. Annette Conlon, Folk Artist with a Passion

Americana singer and songwriter Annette Conlon is also a passionate vegan. She started “The Compassionette Tour,” in an effort to bring compassion, social consciousness, human interaction, and animal issues to a mainstream audience.

5. Johnny Cash, Walked the Vegan Line Late in Life

The Man in Black is synonymous with country music, even nearly two decades after his death (1932-2003), probably in part because of the biopic about his life starring vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix. Ask any die-hard country music fan (or your dad, for that matter) and they will tell you that Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling musicians of all-time. His scores of hits include “I Walk the Line” and “Hurt” “A Boy Named Sue” and dozens of others. Cash himself was believed to have lived meat-free later in life to help combat some health issues. At Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon in Nashville, you can also load up on the meat-free dishes as the restaurant boasts a fully stacked veggie menu that includes greens, sweet potato mash, and fried okra.

The post Greenpeace Calls Out Meat Industry For Lack of Sustainability appeared first on The Beet.

“The world needs to eat less meat,” White told the Telegraph. “But, the reality is that until now plant-based meat products have fallen way short in terms of the quality and versatility required for our menus.”

Launching in 2018, Redefine intended to create plant-based meat products that mirrored the layers structure of animal-based meat products, creating complicated muscle-like structures. The company just announced that it plans to release its new plant-based lamb and steak whole cuts following years of development. The whole beef and lamb flanks experienced widespread enthusiasm from fine dining chefs alongside White, including Ron Blaauw, Joachim Gerner, and Shahaf Shabtay.

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“Honestly, I was so surprised by the texture and structure of the meat,” Blaauw said. “The first time I tried it, I remember closing my eyes and appreciating the chewiness and mouthfeel like I would a great cut of meat. Even now, my head is still spinning with the possibilities this meat creates for our menu.”

White plans to begin offering the plant-based, 3D printed steaks at his 20 steakhouse restaurants across the United Kingdom starting this month. Currently, reports claim that the vegan steaks will be priced between £20 and £30, to make the plant-based alternative as affordable as its animal-based counterparts.

“When I first tasted Redefine Meat, I was mind-blown,” said White. “Redefine Meat’s New-Meat products are pure genius, giving you all the sustainability and health benefits of plant-based, without the compromise on taste and texture.”

Currently, Redefine offers a wide selection of alternative protein products, featuring vegan hamburgers, lamb kebabs, sausages, ground beef, and more. The company’s products can be purchased in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Germany, but the company announced that it intends to expand its distribution range in the coming years, launching across European and Asian markets. Redefine is also slated to make its US debut in the coming months.

Redefine believes that its plant-based meat can sway consumers worldwide to adopt plant-based eating. Following years of research and development, the food-tech company announced that it perfected the complex molecular build of meat and successfully applied this process for plant-based ingredients. The final product is a sustainable alternative to meat that is almost exact to animal-based meat. The fine-dining approval situated Redefine as a leading competitor for the sustainable protein market, providing a product that consumers believe matches traditional steaks, hamburgers, and more.

“Over the past few weeks at COP26, we’ve seen world leaders commit to landmark goals such as the elimination of all deforestation by 2030, which requires a significant reduction in global meat consumption,” CEO and Co-Founder of Redefine Meat Eshchar Ben-Shitrit said. “Redefine Meat has its eyes set on the real problem – not meat, but the way it’s produced. We have a genuine solution that today, not in 2030, preserves all the culinary aspects of meat we know and love, but eliminates cattle as a means of production.”

Michelin-star chefs and restaurants significantly shifted towards plant-based options over the last year. The highly acclaimed culinary board awarded 81 of its coveted stars to vegan and vegetarian restaurants worldwide, far surpassing any previous year for plant-based cuisine. Sustainable alternatives are becoming more popular with diners, and the fine dining scene is responding. More companies like redefine continue to roll out plant-based and sustainable alternatives to conventional meat and dairy product, making it easier for the acclaimed chef to adapt their menus to promote sustainability and plant-based eating.

“We’ve achieved a level of superiority in taste and texture that surprised even some of the most recognized chefs in the world, and our unique technological capabilities enable us to replace every part of the cow for the first time,” Ben-Shitrit said.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post Chef Marco Pierre White to Introduce 3D-Printed Steaks at His UK Restaurants appeared first on The Beet.

The company’s Charlie sneakers will surpass all its current selection in regard to sustainability. The corn-based shoes also feature several accomplishments in the sustainable footwear sector. The shoe’s laces use 100 percent recycled fiber and the soles contain 94 percent recycled rubber. Alongside Biopolioli, Louis Vuitton also created the tongue patch using Econyl – a renewable nylon fabric. Soon, consumers will be able to purchase the brand’s most eco-friendly sneaker that doubles as its first unisex design and is packaged in recycled cardboard.

Louis Vuitton faces criticism for delaying a ban on fur, but the luxury fashion house started developing sustainable designs and manufacturing practices over recent years. Last year, the company conducted a life cycle analysis to determine the best method to improve its sustainability. The initial result is the Charlie sneaker, making its market debut on November 12.

“This allowed us to identify the levers to reduce the environmental impact of our shoes,” Louis Vuitton Global Head of Sustainability Christelle Capdupuy said to WWD. “The Charlie is the result of all this scientific, technical work that has been done.”

Louis Vuitton started introducing upcycling programs for its fashion collection in 2019, and since then, has enhanced these efforts to meet sustainability standards in place from its parent company, LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton). The brand currently intends to transition to 100 percent ethically sourced materials and to switch to 100 percent renewable energy across its production and corporate sectors.

“It’s not easy to change the way we do things,” she said. “So at some point, it’s very interesting to test yourself on a product. The Charlie is the result of a collaboration between marketing, the environmental division, our production site in Italy, and our suppliers. It’s allowed us to test and source the most ambitious raw materials, in terms of environmental impact, and now we’re learning.”

Vegan footwear is rapidly spreading across the entire industry. A report from Future Market Insights valued the vegan footwear market at approximately $24 billion, predicting that it would continue to grow at a 7.2 percent CAGR over the next decade. The production of sustainable footwear is increasing as new startups and tech companies develop sustainable materials adopted by big companies like Adidas or other fashion giants like Gucci and Chanel.

Outside of luxury fashion brands, brands such as Adidas and Nike have paved the way for sustainable and vegan footwear. Earlier this year, Nike partnered with the sustainable material company Ananas Anam to introduce the Pinatex to several of its signature designs. The “Happy Pineapple” collection features five different shoes with fully vegan materials sourced from pineapples. Some iconic designs include the Nike Air Max and Air Force 1s, rolled out with specialized tropical colors.

Another recent study from Future Market Insights revealed that the demand for vegan footwear is soaring as more customers begin to search for environmentally- and animal-friendly options. The report also highlights how Millenials and Gen-Z shoppers also feel more willing to spend more on sustainability across the fashion industry.

“Keeping in mind shifting preference of consumers, most companies are expected to focus on sustainability. Some of them will also include plant-based materials for manufacturing shoes to gain competitive advantage,” an FMI analyst said.

Celebrities like Billie Eilish and soccer star Paul Pogba also help fuel the vegan shoe craze. Eilish collaborated with Nike to debut two new vegan Nike shoes, including a “Ghost Green” Nike Air Jordan that features the vibrant green signature to the pop star. Pogba partnered with Stella McCartney to release a brand new Predator Freak P+ soccer shoe with Adidas. The vegan soccer shoe will be the most sustainable soccer boot on the market – changing both the footwear market and its athletic sector.

Louis Vuitton’s Charlie sneakers are currently available for $1,080 for the low-top variation, and $1,130 for the high-top design. The sneakers mark the brand’s first attempt to enter the vegan footwear market, but with its overall sustainability commitments, consumers can expect it will usher in a sustainable luxury shoe line in the coming years.

The Surprising Reasons these Five Country Singers Went Meat-Free

1. Carrie Underwood Loved Her Family’s Farm Animals

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood has been hailed for her “enormous” vocal range. When it comes to her diet, Underwood’s a fan of breakfast burritos and lots of tofu. She doesn’t shy away from the carbs, either. According to Cheat Sheet, one of her favorite snacks is a toasted English muffin with peanut butter.

2. Blake Shelton Wants to Keep Up With His Older Girlfriend

Singer, songwriter, and “The Voice” coach, Blake Shelton, 43, has been working to stay fit recently with help from his long-time love, Gwen Stefani, who is a vegetarian and told him to get off the meat if he wants to feel fitter and lose some weight. Shelton has been trying to keep up with Stefani’s impressive fitness level, according to an interview Stefani gave this fall. The former No Doubt singer and Hollaback girl is a longtime vegetarian, eats a mostly vegan diet, and is super fit– and at 50, looks younger than her years. A source told Gossipcop, “Gwen’s told him the way to lose it is to stay the hell away from meat and bad carbs.” We’re rooting for him!

3. Shania Twain Has the Key to Gorgeous Skin

The best-selling female country music singer in history isn’t buying any expensive steak dinners after a performance. The “Queen of Country Pop” has sold more than 100 million records but says she keeps her meat-free diet simple. She is both vegetarian and eats very little dairy — though at times has said she does eat eggs.

4. Annette Conlon, Folk Artist with a Passion

Americana singer and songwriter Annette Conlon is also a passionate vegan. She started “The Compassionette Tour,” in an effort to bring compassion, social consciousness, human interaction, and animal issues to a mainstream audience.

5. Johnny Cash, Walked the Vegan Line Late in Life

The Man in Black is synonymous with country music, even nearly two decades after his death (1932-2003), probably in part because of the biopic about his life starring vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix. Ask any die-hard country music fan (or your dad, for that matter) and they will tell you that Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling musicians of all-time. His scores of hits include “I Walk the Line” and “Hurt” “A Boy Named Sue” and dozens of others. Cash himself was believed to have lived meat-free later in life to help combat some health issues. At Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon in Nashville, you can also load up on the meat-free dishes as the restaurant boasts a fully stacked veggie menu that includes greens, sweet potato mash, and fried okra.

The post Louis Vuitton Releases Luxury Sneaker Made From Corn appeared first on The Beet.

California Cultured launched its cell-cultured chocolate to produce a sustainable product that replicates cocoa products without the associated consequences. Often cocoa production and agriculture involve significant deforestation. Also, several scandals involving child labor have been linked to the cocoa industry. The California-based company believed that it can help curb these negative consequences with its cell-based methodology.

Founded by pioneers Harrison Yoon and Alan Perlstein, California Cultured set out to promote sustainability and ethical production methods across the entire market. By producing ethically sourced and environmentally conscious chocolate products, the company aims to set a precedent for sustainable production worldwide.

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“We select cacao varieties with the best organoleptic properties, take a handful of cells and keep them growing infinitely,” the company says. “We do this by equipping the cells with a proper set of plant nutrients which allows for rapid growth. We harvest our cocoa cells from tanks, let them ferment to create a rich flavor, and employ traditional roasting steps to create even more flavor. Then, out come our cell-cultured cocoa nibs, which can be turned into a variety of cocoa products.”

California Cultured received $2.2 million from Agronomics during the funding round. Alongside Agronomics’ contribution was the global venture firm SOSV’s IndieBio. The large-scale investments show a growing interest in the cell-based sector. Currently, several food tech companies worldwide have started developing cell-based production methods to create sustainable alternatives to unsustainable foods including animal-based proteins, chocolate, and more. Agronomics’ investment will allow this production method to expand, becoming cheaper and more accessible to consumers across the United States.

“Agronomics’ network of resources within biotech along with our mutual interest in radically transforming food and agriculture made them an easy choice as an investor and strategic partner,” Perlstein said. “With Agronomics and our other investors behind us, we are well on our way to changing the way we eat chocolate.”

Beyond cell-based chocolate, the investment package indicates a growing interest in cultured food production. A report from CellAgri found that the cellular agriculture sector raised more than $1 billion. The majority of cell-based companies focus on cultured meat and animal products, providing a sustainable alternative to the current animal agriculture and livestock industry.

Another report from CE Delft – commissioned by the Good Food Institute – found that the production of cell-based meat could cause 92 percent less global warming. The sustainable alternative is also projected to use 95 percent less land and 78 percent less water, highlighting the environmental and ethical benefits to cellular agriculture.

“Government investment in R&D and infrastructure will be critical to accelerating the development of cultivated meat and help us achieve global climate goals,” GFI Scientist Elliot Swartz told Food Dive. “Favorable policies and carbon markets can incentivize the restoration of agricultural land for its carbon sequestration and ecosystem services potential, maximizing the climate benefits of cultivated meat.”

The Surprising Reasons these Five Country Singers Went Meat-Free

1. Carrie Underwood Loved Her Family’s Farm Animals

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood has been hailed for her “enormous” vocal range. When it comes to her diet, Underwood’s a fan of breakfast burritos and lots of tofu. She doesn’t shy away from the carbs, either. According to Cheat Sheet, one of her favorite snacks is a toasted English muffin with peanut butter.

2. Blake Shelton Wants to Keep Up With His Older Girlfriend

Singer, songwriter, and “The Voice” coach, Blake Shelton, 43, has been working to stay fit recently with help from his long-time love, Gwen Stefani, who is a vegetarian and told him to get off the meat if he wants to feel fitter and lose some weight. Shelton has been trying to keep up with Stefani’s impressive fitness level, according to an interview Stefani gave this fall. The former No Doubt singer and Hollaback girl is a longtime vegetarian, eats a mostly vegan diet, and is super fit– and at 50, looks younger than her years. A source told Gossipcop, “Gwen’s told him the way to lose it is to stay the hell away from meat and bad carbs.” We’re rooting for him!

3. Shania Twain Has the Key to Gorgeous Skin

The best-selling female country music singer in history isn’t buying any expensive steak dinners after a performance. The “Queen of Country Pop” has sold more than 100 million records but says she keeps her meat-free diet simple. She is both vegetarian and eats very little dairy — though at times has said she does eat eggs.

4. Annette Conlon, Folk Artist with a Passion

Americana singer and songwriter Annette Conlon is also a passionate vegan. She started “The Compassionette Tour,” in an effort to bring compassion, social consciousness, human interaction, and animal issues to a mainstream audience.

5. Johnny Cash, Walked the Vegan Line Late in Life

The Man in Black is synonymous with country music, even nearly two decades after his death (1932-2003), probably in part because of the biopic about his life starring vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix. Ask any die-hard country music fan (or your dad, for that matter) and they will tell you that Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling musicians of all-time. His scores of hits include “I Walk the Line” and “Hurt” “A Boy Named Sue” and dozens of others. Cash himself was believed to have lived meat-free later in life to help combat some health issues. At Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon in Nashville, you can also load up on the meat-free dishes as the restaurant boasts a fully stacked veggie menu that includes greens, sweet potato mash, and fried okra.

The post What is Cell-Based Chocolate? Here’s How It Can Help the Planet appeared first on The Beet.

“Over five years, our lens was situated at the forefront of a historic and hopeful movement of change,” Marshall said in a statement. “What the future holds for cultivated meat is unclear, but I believe its revolutionary journey into the world will stand the test of time.”

Originally named Memphis Meats, Upside Foods was founded by cardiology Uma Valeti in 2015 to research how meat products could be created through cell-based fermentation. The company uses a sample size of animal cells to multiply them in a bioreactor, creating a final product that is contained, sustainable meat that tastes and looks indistinguishable from traditional meat.

The documentary aims to explore the growing food system that claims to be revolutionizing animal agriculture. The documentary begins in 2015 when Upside Foods developed a cell-based meatball, which cost the company nearly $18,000. Following its development over the years, the film showcases its technological strides and experimentation within the new food industry. The company claims it will be able to provide consumers with affordable, cell-based meat.

The film initially premiered at the 2020 Hot Docs Film Festival in Canada. The documentary is being released again with updated statistics, breaking news, and narration from Goodall.

A recent report from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that nearly 30 percent of consumers were trying to eat less meat or choosing plant-based alternatives due to environmental reasons. As the climate crisis continues to worsen, consumers worldwide have begun prioritizing sustainable foods over environmentally costly animal products. The figure compares to only 20 to 25 percent of consumers motivated by health, animal welfare, or cost.

“I’m excited about the documentary because it is solution-focused,” Goodall said in a statement. “The film proposes a way forward, to reduce methane, to reduce water and land use, to lessen the suffering of animals, and to prevent future viral outbreaks. I hope it sparks your imagination and inspires change.”

Goodall uses her platform to support projects that put environmental protection at the front, believing that it is essential to restructure the food systems worldwide to curb the rising greenhouse gas emissions. The activist’s support for the Meat the Future documentary comes ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK. The film advocates for the dismantlement of the traditional animal agriculture industry, citing that it is responsible for 14.5 to 16.5 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

A recent report from the independent research consultant CE Delft concluded that cell-based beef production would reduce air pollution by 93 percent and climate impact by 92 percent. The study also found that as compared to current meat production, cell-based meat would waste 78 percent less water and use 95 percent less land.

Last year, Upside Foods secured $161 million during its Series B funding round, marking the largest investment for a cell-based protein company at the time. The company allocated the money to create affordable cell-based meat and expand its portfolio. The company also is expanding and preparing for its public commercial debut.

Upside Foods just partnered with acclaimed Michelin Star Chef Dominque Crenn to feature its cell-based chicken on her signature restaurant Atelier Crenn. The San Francisco-based restaurant has not served meat products since 2019, meaning that the inclusion of the new lab-grown chicken will mark the first time she’s incorporated meat back into her menu. Crenn announced that she plans to be the first US chef to introduce cell-based chicken to American consumers.

“When I tasted UPSIDE Chicken for the first time, I thought, this is it. This is the future of food. The look, smell, and sear – UPSIDE Chicken is just delicious,” Crenn said. “People are finally waking up to the downsides of conventional meat production, which led me to remove meat from my menus several years ago. Chefs need to lead the way in making more conscious product choices. I am excited to be collaborating with UPSIDE Foods and am looking forward to bringing meat back to Atelier Crenn that is delicious and better for the world.”

You may think iron is synonymous with meat, and while animal protein certainly has it, that doesn’t mean you can’t get enough iron if you eat a mainly plant-based diet. In fact, you can, if you know the right foods to choose and how to pair them. The daily recommendation from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for iron intake is 18 milligrams (mg), but not all iron sources are created equal. Here’s what plant-based eaters need to know about iron and which iron-rich foods are best to help reap the benefits.

1. White Mushrooms

1 cup cooked = 3 mg iron (17% daily value (DV))\There are many reasons to eat mushrooms on the regular, but their meaty texture (try a Portobello cap as a meat replacement for a burger!) and ample protein are two of the highlights. Add them to your stir-fry, tacos, or even instead of meat in a faux Bolognese sauce.

2. Lentils

1/2 cup = 3 mg iron (17% DV)You don’t need to eat a huge serving of lentils to get a hearty dose of iron. Just a half-cup provides close to 20% of the iron you need in a day. Just like mushrooms, lentils have a meaty texture that works well in burgers, tacos, or grain bowls.

3. Potatoes

1 medium potato = 2 mg iron (11% DV)The poor potato has gotten such a bad rap. Fear of this carb-rich spud is unwarranted because it’s actually an affordable and delicious source of iron and potassium. So go ahead and have that hash, baked potato, or potato soup and leave the skin on for some added fiber.

4. Cashews

1 ounce = 2 mg iron (11% DV)Most nuts contain iron, but cashews are a standout because they have less fat than some of the other nuts. One ounce of cashews (about 16 to 18 nuts) has 160 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 13 grams of fat. Add a handful of cashews to smoothies, soups, or sauces for some extra creaminess.

5. Tofu

½ cup = 3 mg (15% DV)Not only does tofu have plenty of protein and calcium, but it’s also a good source of iron. It’s very versatile and takes on the flavor of any sauce or marinade, making it a great meat substitute.Keep in mind that you can easily get the iron you need from a plant-based diet.

The post Jane Goodall to Narrate New Documentary About Cell-Based Meat appeared first on The Beet.

Although cutting out meat, fish, and dairy, benefits the environment, and eating a flexitarian diet could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 52 percent, according to research done by Nature, not all plants and crops that we love (such as some nuts, fruits, and grains) are as beneficial to the environment as we would like, and some can cause a lot of damage.

Foods such as soy, almonds, and avocados, while still better environmentally speaking than, say, beef, chicken, or pork, also come with a significant environmental price tag. That said, the good news is there are plenty of other plant-based, truly sustainable foods that people can turn to instead if they are interested in benefiting the climate with their consumer choices.

Plant-Based Foods That Are Bad For the Environment

1. Avocado

People often use the environmental impact of avocados as a counterargument against vegans and vegetarians, saying that these fruits are expensive when it comes to spending our natural resources. Unfortunately, they have a point.

Why are avocados bad? They’re thirsty. Avocados have become a seemingly essential part of vegan and plant-based cuisine, whether smashed avocado toast for breakfast or as a garnish on burritos and buddha bowls. According to a news article in The Guardian, which cites the Water Foodprint Network, a kilogram of avocados requires 2,000 liters of water to cultivate. The global appetite for avocados is contributing to droughts in countries as far off as Chile, the article states.

Avocados require four times as much as is needed to grow a kilogram of oranges. This tremendous water use for avocado cultivation has lead to farmers stealing water from villages, which in turn creates social unrest in Central America and Mexico, where most of the world’s avocado cultivation takes place. And that’s not taking into account the fossil fuels required to ship and truck avocados to stores across the Atlantic as demand in Europe continues to soar.

All that said, compared with beef, which is notoriously bad in terms of water usage (1,800 gallons which is 6,813 liters of water per pound of beef produced), avocados are still a lot more sustainable. But within the realms of plant-based eating, they are definitely one of the most detrimental to our planet in terms of water use.

Swap Avocados for Lentils or Sweet Potatoes

Avocados are an excellent source of fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamins —including vitamin B5 and B6. They are also a great source of healthy dietary monounsaturated fat. People can find some of these same fats in olive oil and rapeseed oil, which can easily be added to most savory meals, in cooking or as dressing. Other great plant sources of vitamin B5 include lentils and sweet potatoes. You can get B6 from peanuts, oats, and wheat germ. All these foods are more sustainable than avocados and deliver many of the same health benefits.

2. Quinoa

Quinoa is another popular whole grain in plant-based cuisine, often eaten as a healthy alternative to carb-heavy foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes. It is a great source of fiber and plant protein, and one of the few plant foods to also be a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce on its own.

However, quinoa is another plant-based food that is not as sustainable as people may believe. Traditionally, farmers cultivated quinoa at high altitudes in the Andes, however increasing demand for quinoa has led to farmers planting their crop on the lowlands as well, replacing lama farms that have been crucial in soil fertilization through the manure the animals produce.

Farmers are also unable to rotate crops, since quinoa is so popular, which leaves the fields and the earth devoid of nutrients, and eventually that impacts the yield and quality of the crop. It can also lead to erosion, which has a cascading effect on the success of the farm and village. The increase in the demand for quinoa has also led to a need for the use of machinery in the cultivation process, which increases fossil fuel emissions for the overall impact of growing quinoa.

One study projects the Global Warming Potential  (GWP) of Quinoa production to be 7.82 kg CO2-equivalent per kg of protein. This GWP metric specifically measures how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide, over a set period of time. To make a comparison, the GWP of a Midwestern cattle pasture, was 43.7 kg CO2e/kg, according to one study. Quinoa is still monumentally better than beef in terms of GWP, but it does have an impact on the environment and will continue to do so as the demand keeps on growing.

Swap Quinoa for Barley, Millet, or Amaranth

If you want to slow down on your quinoa consumption, amaranth is a grain that is in much lower demand, yet similarly high in protein content to quinoa. You can also try barley and millet, two other nutrient-dense whole grains that make suitable substitutes for quinoa in a number of dishes such as grain bowls.

3. Soy

Soy is everywhere in plant-based cooking, and it shows up in many forms. Whether soy milk, tofu, tempeh, or countless other soy-based meat substitutes, soy is hard to avoid soy when you start following a vegan, plant-based, or vegetarian diet. Soy is an excellent source of protein and is extremely versatile. But as it impacts the environment, soy is less heroic.

One familiar narrative has it that the demand for soy is leading to the destruction of huge swaths of the Amazon rain forest, being cut down to make room for soy crops. While again, there is sadly some truth to this, it should be noted that a large percentage of soy production is grown for cattle feed, and therefore the meat industry holds equal responsibility for this aggressive soy farming, in terms of the impact soy has on the environment.

That said, human soy consumption has been on the rise as well, and not without consequence to the environment. According to one study, the area of land occupied by soy farms and soy production in South America more than doubled between 2000 and 2019.

Both soil compaction and soil erosion are problems on many soy farms, due to the need to mechanize and meet increasing demands. Deforestation to create the farms, and the production itself, produce a lot of greenhouse gases as well. Additionally, the fertilizers and pesticides that soy farmers use often enter the water supply in regions of Brazil and Argentina, two countries that have seen a huge increase in soy production since the 1960s.

Swap Soy Products for Legumes or Pulses

The most obvious alternatives to soy food products are legumes and pulses, due to their high protein content. They have a significantly lower impact on the environment and are grown in a greater range of countries across the globe. Try eating beans, lentils, chickpeas, and many other types of legumes. Buy them in their dried form and plan to soak them, or get them in a can and heat to eat.

4. Almonds

Almonds are a popular go-to source for plant-based snacking since they’re high in protein, minerals, and vitamins and a great source of fiber. Meanwhile, almond milk has become the most popular dairy substitute, with 64 percent of the total market, according to the market research company Mintel. Consumers love it because of its low-calorie content relative to other non-dairy milk alternatives.

Almonds are also water hogs, requiring the most water of any dairy milk substitute. Producing just one liter of almond milk requires 130 pints of water. By one estimate, it takes over a gallon of water to grow a single almond. Add to that, almond tree growth leads to the death of millions of bees every year as the number of acres committed to almond trees has more than doubled in California’s Central Valley, it has diminished the plant diversity bees need to survive and thrive. Almond milk sales had increased by 250 percent as of 2018, which is contributing to the wholesale devastation of the bee population. More bees die in the US every year than all other animals raised for slaughter combined.

Almond cultivators employ bees to pollinate the almond trees, but honey bees live best in biodiverse landscapes. In the almond industry, they are expected to perform a task like machines and be equally productive. However, when they enter almond farms they do not have the habitat they need, and amidst all the pesticides farmers use, many of them die.

If the life of bees concerns you then you’ll want to do your best to avoid almonds and almond milk, in particular, to stop the harm these crops are causing for the endangered honey bee.

Swap Almond Milk for Oat, Hemp, or Flax Milk

Oat milk, hemp milk, and flax milk are all great alternatives to almond milk. Seeds and grains take less time and therefore generally less water to produce, and do not come with the added problem of bee destruction. These contain equal amounts of plant proteins to almond milk.

Learn more about the environmental impact of plant-based milk substitutes.

5. Cocoa

Cocoa is another plant crop that faces issues around sustainability. Plant-based chocolate products are becoming more readily available as companies find ways to serve consumers plant-based versions of their favorite sweet treat, which comes with health benefits, including being high in antioxidants, that protect against chronic diseases.

The cocoa industry has been notorious for its exploitation of workers in Africa for many decades, however, and the growth in the demand for chocolate has a negative impact on the environment as well.

Make Chocolate Fair stresses that the low income and hazardous working conditions of cocoa farmers is a serious violation of human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization. Over two million children work on cocoa plantations in Ghana and the Ivory Coast alone, and more than half a million of these children work in abusive conditions. In fact, a quarter of all children aged five to seven years old living in cocoa-growing regions in West Africa are involved in cocoa production.

Cocoa bean plantations have led to huge amounts of deforestation in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where most of the world’s cocoa production takes place. Illegal cocoa-growing operations have devastated vast areas of protected land and national parks. In Ghana, cocoa farms led to the clearing of 291,254 acres of protected land between 2001 and 2014. Ghana also lost 10 percent of its entire tree coverage to the cocoa industry.

Cocoa planting leads to the loss of biodiversity, which causes wild animals and plants to disappear and lose their natural habitats. Pesticides and other chemicals that farmers use enter the water supply, poisoning animals and affecting human drinking water as well. While several organizations are doing what they can to improve the situation globally, there is still a long way to go before cocoa can be considered a planet-friendly crop. As things stand, cocoa is far from being a sustainable plant-based food source.

Swap Cocoa for Berries and Spices

Many berries are also high in antioxidants. Some of the more readily available berries that could also make a good alternative sweet treat to chocolate include blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries. Several spices also have a very high antioxidant content, including cloves, cinnamon, and peppermint.

6. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are another food source that has quickly become a staple of plant-based diets due to their versatility in cooking, their relatively high protein content, and being one of the few plant sources of vitamin D. Several meat substitutes, from burgers to hot dogs, are also made from mushrooms. However, mushrooms may have more of an impact on the environment than people would think.

A recent study around the lifecycle of the Agaricus bisporus mushroom, which is the popular white button mushroom, found that the commercial production of these fungi creates a large impact on the environment, putting the sustainability of mushrooms into question. The study looked at the lifecycle from ‘cradle to gate.’ In other words, from their growth process all the way until reaching supermarket shelves.

“Mushrooms are grown in sealed, insulated rooms where the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration are carefully controlled. Once the compost, spawn, and supplements are in place, casing (mostly comprised of peat moss)… is applied over the top of the mixture. Mushrooms can be harvested 18–21 days after casing in 7–10-day cycles for 35–60 days.” The study then added up all the pesticides, water, and labor that go into this process to come up with an estimate of what mushrooms require in resources.

Researchers concluded that the GWP100 (100-year global warming potential) impact of commercial mushroom production ranges from 2.13 to 2.95 kg CO2e/kg. Mushrooms are clearly still a lot better than beef, or even quinoa, in terms of sustainability, however, people should be aware that their cultivation, especially as demand soars, does also have a noteworthy impact on the environment.

Swap Mushrooms for Other Vitamin D Sources

Unfortunately, there are very few plant sources of vitamin D, which is perhaps another reason why mushrooms are so seemingly crucial in plant-based diets. Fortified cereals are the best alternative in terms of vitamin D, but these usually come with other ingredients like added sugar, which make them less than healthy. Fortified orange juice also contains vitamin D and of course you can always get vitamin D by spending time in the sunshine (wear sunscreen).

Broccoli, peas, and corn are three great plant sources of protein that can also be added to numerous dishes, such as stir-fries and salads. In terms of cooking, zucchini, eggplant, and fava beans could be used in place of mushrooms in many dishes with much lower greenhouse gas emissions generated by those crops.

Bottom Line: A plant-based diet is better for the environment but not all plants are equally beneficial

When choosing a plant-based diet for the purpose of lowering the cost to the environment, some plants come with an asterisk. Avocados come at a particularly high cost, while almond growing has catastrophic effects on the honey bee. There are plenty of alternatives both in terms of nutritional content, and taste that have less of a negative effect on the environment.

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