Depending on what region of the world you live in, a seasonal diet will not have the same impact on your diet -
© Shutterstock (via The Conversation)
The environmental cost of food is determined by how it “travels” to our plates and how it was originally produced, according to a study published by our partner The Conversation.
Thus, very paradoxically, New Zealand lamb consumed in France has less impact on the environment than lamb produced locally.
The analysis of this phenomenon was conducted by Sean Beer, Senior Lecturer in Agriculture at the University of Bournemouth (England).
I wish people would consider the food they eat not only 'field to plate' but also 'seed to soul'.
I've been studying how to make the global food supply sustainable for over 30 years, so I'm often asked what is the best diet for the planet.
The problem is, most people want easy answers to this question.
Unfortunately there is none!
For example, I have often thought about becoming a vegetarian for ethical and environmental reasons.
But I don't want to eat soy meat or other foods imported from the other side of the world instead, because of the carbon emissions generated to transport them.
And if we are to recognize the ethical dilemma of eating animals, what about soil animals?
Why is crushing, slicing, and dicing mini beasts on farms okay, but not when it comes to big beasts?
If I follow this logic to the end, should I become a “fruitarian” who only eats organic fruits grown near his home?
A challenge full of contradictions
When looking to follow a sustainable diet, one quickly comes up against many contradictions.
A concept such as “food miles” can then be useful in determining the carbon footprint of certain foods on our plates.
It's simple to understand, but it can also make no sense.
After all, it's not just about the distance traveled, but also the environmental cost of that trip and how it was originally produced.
One can, for example, defend the idea that New Zealand lamb consumed in France has less impact on the environment than lamb produced locally.
New Zealand lamb production involves fewer "rich" carbon inputs such as fertilizer.
There is also a very efficient transportation system in New Zealand, which relies on larger farms and larger trucks.
It makes it possible to produce and transport more meat with less land and fewer emissions.
This results in a reduction in greenhouse gases per kilogram of meat.
New Zealand lamb is traded around the world. Klanarong Chitmung / Shutterstock (via The Conversation)
However, just because it's complicated doesn't mean you have to give up.
Obviously, eating less meat and more fruits and vegetables would benefit our health and the planet.
Eating on seasonal products, fresh products directly from the fields, is also relevant, in particular because it will reconnect consumers with the products and the land.
This forces us to face the fact that not all crops grow at the same time in the year.
Strawberries are a summer gift, green vegetables are spring.
But what does a seasonal diet look like for someone who lives in a temperate climate, like that of France?
With the help of technology, we can grow many exotic crops in France that, in theory, could not grow in such a climate.
The problem is, much of this activity involves carbon-intensive technologies, like gas-heated greenhouses or fields covered with rows of plastic tunnels.
What would our diet look like if we grew all of our food respecting the natural seasons and climate of our region?
Seasonality put to the test of winter
In this regard, summer is great.
We can feast on a wide range of fruits and vegetables and easily follow the health tips that recommend us to consume a wide variety of foods.
The French summer thus offers strawberries, radishes, tomatoes or blueberries.
Salads, summer puddings… green is also in the spotlight.
Many crops can also be stored for the coming winter.
And yet, in summer, when most of our natural products are in abundance, France still imports a large part of its food.
As fall approaches, unless crops are protected by a greenhouse or tunnel, many of the most delicate foods start to wither away.
We then become dependent on roots - like beets, carrots, potatoes, swede and parsnips - and leafy brassicas - like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale.
Not to mention leeks and Swiss chard!
It is then the moment to cultivate what the Danes call “hygge”, an art of living which makes it possible to remain positive during the long winters.
By creating, for example, a friendly and warm atmosphere based on stews, soups and comforting broths.
Autumn, the period of brassicas and roots © Arnaldo Aldana / Unsplash
Things get more austere as winter progresses.
This is one of the reasons why our ancestors organized parties at the time of the winter solstice, to give themselves courage while waiting for spring.
Not to mention that at the end of February and during March, as we begin to think of milder days, there is a period of trough ("the lean season"): the fall crops that have survived the lean season. winters are beginning to decline;
the spring crops are not there yet.
Purple spray broccoli cabbage - also known as poor man's asparagus - is among the few delicacies ready to eat in winter.
It is also possible to store food from season to season, but this requires energy.
There are traditional skills that require less energy, but require knowledge and time, an increasingly scarce commodity.
Our “Food” file
How many people make jars with their surplus fruits and vegetables?
Consuming local, seasonal foods in large quantities throughout the year involves restructuring traditional food production systems and supply chains.
These have been undermined by the concentration of the food supply in the hands of a few players.
Winter tests our ability to preserve the riches of summer and fall, and spring relieves us with its artichokes, new potatoes, rhubarb, arugula, sorrel and spinach.
Then the cycle begins again.
Once again, sourcing in a truly sustainable way is not child's play.
This requires reviving the knowledge and cultural processes that supermarkets have made us forget.
But the benefits of a local, seasonal food supply are great for nature and our health.
Reconnecting with the land and its seasonal rhythms is good for everyone.
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This analysis was written in English by Sean Beer, Senior Lecturer in Agriculture at the University of Bournemouth (England).
The original article was translated and published on The Conversation website.
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