Eating wisely for a greener world
A study shows how changing food habits of Indians will slow down the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the country by 2020.
Indians will consume only a fraction of the amount of milk they drink today, but increase their vegetable consumption—ensuring that the country reduces its greenhouse gas emission levels by 2020. While the changed eating habits won’t actually reduce the CO2 emission levels below the 2004 mark, it will slow down the process of global warming, says an Indian Agricultural Research Institute study.
Change in food habits by 2020 and the associated global warming potential (GWP) is shown in the following table.
| Food Product | Demand (Mt)a | GWP (Mt C02 eq.) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | '11-12 | '20-21 | '04-05 | '11-12 | '20-21 | |
| Wheat | 78 | 81 | 83 | 9.3 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
| Rice | 98 | 125 | 173 | 87.9 | 112.1 | 155.1 |
| Pulses | 14 | 16 | 16 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 6.6 |
| Vegetables | 91 | 108 | 127 | 8.9 | 10.6 | 12.5 |
| Milk | 91 | 114 | 15 | 81.1 | 101.4 | 12.9 |
