Questions tagged [food]
substance consumed to provide nutritional support for humans and animals. Use this tag for questions on the sustainability aspects of food in general. See also [meat],[fish],[cooking]
112
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What do I feed my snails?
So I've recently gotten into foraging and found a site called eattheinvaders.org that encourages people to eat invasive species. One of the most invasive species here in California is the common ...
6
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2
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Carbon footprint of soy milk versus cow's milk
I am wondering about a specific carbon footprint comparison (i.e. total global warming potential per litre) between soy milk and cow's milk.
This would of course depend on where and how they are ...
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4
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Using other peoples resources for basic living
For at least a few weeks, I've been living using others resources. I do not own a cellphone and have no expenses except my car insurance. I'm currently using my car for sleep and transportation. For ...
3
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2
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Re-usable packaging options for cheese?
I have a vision for a model of grocery store that would buy food in bulk and package on-site into packaging which is 100% reusable or truly compostable (unlike many types of so-called "compostable ...
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How to source sustainable/ethical meat?
There seem to be a lot of resources out there for sourcing sustainably/ethically grown vegetables, but many of the ones I can find seem to be aimed primarily at vegetarians/vegans, and so don't have ...
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Can real straw be used as a natural drinking straw?
I'm wondering if grass (or something else) straw was ever used for making drinking straws before plastic ones were made.
My daughter loves having a straw in her drink but it irks me to have to throw ...
8
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2
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Would a tax on non-organic meat have environmental benefits?
The production of livestock is responsible for a massive share of the methane that is released into the atmosphere, and is a major contributor to global warming.
Sources:
The Lancet: "Food, ...
6
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1
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How much soya is needed to produce a glass of cow's milk?
Producing soya beans is responsible for some significant amounts of deforestation in tropical areas and relying on soya introduces a demand for transportation in countries where soya is not grown.
I ...
6
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What's the largest polyculture farm out there?
I'm curious if anyone has an information about the largest polyculture farms that have been able to be successful. Are planning and harvesting techniques good enough to make polyculture economically ...
8
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1
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How environmentally friendly is the production process of vitamin B12 supplements?
A vegan diet recommends the use of fortified foods and supplements (Wikipedia).
How environmentally friendly is the production process of these vitamin B12 pills? Might it maybe even be better for ...
2
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0
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133
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Useful plants to grow in garden [closed]
I am a guy living in Kerala, India. I have a plot of 5 cents (about 200 square meter) in my backyard. I would like to know which plants would be helpful for planting in the plot (edible fruits or ...
6
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1
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How does transportation cost depend on food?
Given that two foods requiring refrigeration have the same weight and volume and are being shipped from one location to another via the same method, how does the environmental impact of that ...
2
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What's required for hydroponic farming in a container?
I have a container of size L 1.8 m × W 1.86 × H 1.73. I am planning to turn this into a hydroponic container for growing cooking greens (salad etc.). The thing that concerns me is the stuff I probably ...
6
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Most eco-friendly staple food
I was wondering what the most eco-friendly high-starch food is — not per kg but per calorie — I am looking for something to eat large amounts of when hungry after my main meals. Thanks.
Grains and ...
26
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10
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How can I manage my fridge's contents better?
Sadly, about 30-50% of the Western world's food is thrown away. Personally, I waste about half of my food, due to poor fridge management. I forget what I have bought and find expired food located in ...
2
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1
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How different are small fruits and vegetables grocery stores from around the corner from big supermarkets?
When I buy fruits and vegetables in a small grocery store at the corner, I cannot help myself but think that—coming from the idea that "Small is Beautiful"—if I do my shoppings in these kinds of ...
13
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Is plastic food packaging 100% reusable?
There is the prominent argument that we should buy food without plastic packaging because plastic is made of oil and thus bad.
I'm wondering, however, what if the plastic packaging remains in the ...
6
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How do organic nuts differ from non-organic nuts?
Organic nuts are significantly more expensive than non-organic nuts. How do they difference with regards to the following exemplary aspects?
difference in pesticide use?
difference in large-scale vs....
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How to preserve meat during warm months without electricity?
It's so easy to preserve food with a fridge. But if you don't have electricity, because of some big disaster or resource depletion, how would you handle preserving meat?
In winter it is relatively ...
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3
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How food producers calculate "best before" date?
How food producers calculate "best before" date?
Why I'm asking on SL? Because I'd rather not waste food to be sustainable. And many times I'm advised (by "best before" date put on food package) to ...
6
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1
answer
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Do the veggies you eat today have the same amount of vitamins and minerals as they used to twenty years ago?
The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) recommended to us by health experts are based on the amount of nutrition in fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. The RDA hasn't changed since decades.
Are any ...
4
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How many people depend on food banks worldwide?
A large amount of edible food is wasted by households (corresponding to unsustainable behaviours) that could potentially be diverted to food banks. I am interested in the potential of people who could ...
18
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1
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How much space do I need for a colony of grasshoppers?
Grasshoppers are a valuable source of protein, and they eat many different types of plants.
But how large an area do I need for a colony of grasshoppers providing about 100kg of "meat" a year? In a ...
6
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1
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Reference request - Farm level, multi year comparison between organic and conventional agriculture
This meta study on the crop yield gap suggests that organic farming has about 80% the yield of conventional farming at the field level, yields may vary widely and organic yields can surpass ...
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What type of guinea pigs will keep a food forest well cleaned?
I'm building a food forest, and was wondering what type of guinea pigs would work best to keep a food forest floor clean while not harming my plants so I can have plenty of food as well as getting ...
8
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Optimising crop yields without using fossil-fuel-manufactured fertiliser
The green revolution produced a step change in crop yields. Although nitrogen-based fertilisers have been produced without fossil fuels, a very large proportion of global fertiliser production depends ...
22
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458
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Local greenhouse/hothouse vegetables vs. remote naturally-grown vegetables
I've often wondered what is ecologically better:
A tomato from the region grown in a (heated) greenhouse/hothouse
A tomato from several thousand km away grown naturally
Ceteris paribus, are there ...
17
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4
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What to do with expired food?
When I last visited my grandmother I found a couple of expired cans of peaches. Given that they should have been consumed three years ago I don't think it's safe to eat them.
I was thinking about ...
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Is it legal to have chickens in NYC?
I have a small backyard and live in a densely populated part of Brooklyn. I'm interested in exploring the possibility of getting two chickens for eggs. I was wondering if anyone has any advice for ...
6
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1
answer
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Best vegetables for roof top garden?
I have a small garden on the roof of an appartment Building, and I have an area of 3 square meters to plant crops. Last year I planted carrots and got around 100 distributed over the year.
This year ...
6
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1
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Energy requirements for sustainable food production system
Overview
Consider the following system for sustainable food production:
The purpose of this system is to provide an environmentally-friendly, semi- (or fully-) automated means to produce food for ...
7
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1
answer
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Rye cultivation and rye flour
In view of the possibility of cultivating rye to become self-sufficient in bread and flour, I am looking for a good estimate of the following quantities:
the surface of area planted with rye needed ...
15
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Which is more sustainable: Almond, Soy, Coconut, Cashew or Other Milk?
As my question indicates, what is the most viable dairy alternative from a sustainability perspective (ignoring the importance of nutritional value)? From a life-cycle analysis are some options more ...
5
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2
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Aquaculture from nothing
I'm in the process of setting up an aquaponics (recirculating aquaculture) system. The main fish being raised are Channel Catfish, and in a separate tank I am also attempting to raise Guppies as a ...
5
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What depth of soil is required for a roof top garden?
What depth of soil is required for a roof top garden?
In particular I am looking to grow plants that will produce food without requiring re-planting yearly (like strawberries and chives). However I ...
7
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3
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When buying beer is refilling growlers better than recycling bottles and cans?
I'm trying to decide if it's worth buying all my beer in reusable growlers (32-64 oz. / 0.9-1.9 liter reusable glass containers). I live in New York, so doing so requires me to go out of my way but is ...
4
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Why were meat, shrimps, vegetable, fruit in the past more delicious than they are now?
I traveled to many countries in the world and I found that generally meat, shrimps, vegetable, fruit in the past (like 30 years ago) were more delicious than they are now.
Is that because people try ...
5
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When transporting high-end food stuff from Chita to Moscow, which method is more fuel efficient, by rail or by air?
Chita is a Russian city nestled between Mongolia and Manchuria. Although Chita is located on the trans-siberian railway, I wonder if it is more energy efficient to ship 100 tons of cut beef every day ...
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Is eating beef unsustainable?
I recently saw a poster somewhere saying that some type of emission or byproduct that comes out of cattle production is extremely wasteful and harmful to the environment. What exactly is this ...
8
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How safe is it to manufacture and use silicone?
Silicone seems to be used in more and more products over time. At home, I have a silicone oven mitt, silicone bakeware, (partly) silicone tongs, and a silicone bowl-scraper.
It seems like a very ...
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What area is needed to grow enough food to sustain a person for a year?
I was wondering, what area space (m²) do I need to plant rice/bean in order to sustain one person for a year?
10
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Does vegetarianism help in protecting nature?
Recently I saw a documentary in youtube 'Home'. It points out that in America, for feeding cattle, a lot of wheat and other food products are used and these animals are then killed for food. What are ...
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Yeasts - Home production for alcoholic beverages / Baking / etc
Yeasts are used to produce "alcoholic beverages" / beer / wine, to bake, yogurt/cheese, etc....
Going to a shop and buy some baker's yeast is easy but not a long term solution, at least the ones I ...
9
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1
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Olive oil versus sunflower oil
I wondered what was the best, in one hand for the health (but I guess the question should be asked somewhere else, shouldn't it?) and in the other hand for the earth.
Which one, if there is one, is ...
8
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1
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How can I clean old cooking oil for use in candles?
I have a tupperware of old cooking oil in the fridge that I've been debating throwing away - but I would rather re-use it than just toss it. Can I render it and make it into jar candles? It's ...
6
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Preserving opened canned food
I am living by myself since the end of last year. When grocery shopping, I've noticed that canned food (beans, peas, salsas, etc.) is usually 500g or more, which is too much to eat for one seat.
I've ...
8
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Avoid eating tuna (as it is endangered)?
I heard that tuna is disseaparing, I "verified" on the Greenpeace link. It seems hard to believe it, is this for real? The "pig" of the oceans, one of the most common, one of the favourites? Or it's ...
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Meat or fish, which requires more energy to produce?
In general it is assumed that the energy that is required to produce a certain type of food is a good surrogate for the total environmental burden of food products. I scanned some studies to compare ...
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Indoor tilapia aquaponic farm in condo/apartment?
Are there problems with an aquaponic tilapia farm for a condo/apartment living space? Is this sustainable and safe?
I'm thinking there might be problems with humidity/mold and possible water pump ...
17
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How can I save seeds from a tomato for replanting?
I am a first time seeder and I am trying to save the seeds from the fruits and vegetables I consume so I can plant them later. I understand how to properly save most seeds like. However, I am unsure ...