KACHEN #21 (Winter 2019) English edition

SUSTAINABILITY!
A FEW TIPS
AVOCADO TOAST?
Though delicious and healthy, avocados need 1000 liters
of water for each 1 kg produced. The growing demand
for avocados is causing environmental issues, such as
deforestation in Mexico and increased greenhouse gas
emissions. Enjoying avocados as the rare snack is probably
still ok, but we need to rethink consuming it on a daily
basis.
BEEF OR TOFU?
Tofu it is! A kilogram of beef protein has the equivalent
carbon emissions of a passenger flying from London to
New York and back. Cows also release methane, which
makes this protein source the second worst for our environment,
with lamb being the first. The production of
soy on the other hand causes 15 times fewer emissions
compared to beef. Even soy production is not completely
innocent as it is a major cause of deforestation. However,
most soy production is grown as animal feed, so the reduction
of meat consumption could also reduce soy production.
While local is always better, in the case of meat
this isn’t true. Consuming less or, better yet, making meat
consumption a rare treat if not ready to give it up entirely,
is best.
TEXT Vesela Savova Drews
PAPER OR COTTON TOTE BAGS?
Cotton tote bags, but only if you already have them! A cotton
bag is only eco-friendlier if you use it more than 130
times. The reason for this is that cotton requires a lot of
water and pesticides. Organic cotton improves this ratio
a little. However, brown paper bags are also not a solution
– they require more resources than plastic and pollute
the air and water with chemicals. Additionally, most paper
bags are not made from recycled materials. The solution:
it is just as important what you choose to put into your bag
as well as carrying it as often as possible.
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KACHEN No.21 | WINTER 19