- Replacing rice with food oats reduces the climate impact as rice is grown in water where the powerful greenhouse gas methane gas is formed.
- Switching dairy products to oat-based plants causes less climate impact, as production of animals generates greater greenhouse gas emissions.
- Through milk production there are animals that can graze the natural pastures that are important for biodiversity. Today, milk production is contributing to their grazing. Without grazing animals, biodiversity deteriorates.
- If oat crops increase as a result of rising consumption, cultivation needs to take place in sustainable production systems.
- The use of pesticides must be minimized.
- Crops need to be varied so that the same is not grown year after year.
- If milk production decreases, other animals need to graze the ground. These can be cows where the cow is not milked but the calf remains with the cow, sheep or horses.
- In order to steer agriculture in a direction where climate and environmental impacts are reduced, the agricultural support system needs to be redone.
Source: Elin Röös, researcher on the environmental impact of food, Swedish University of Agriculture