Move over, locavores: A slew of new labels — from “climavore” to “reducetarian” — reflect the trend of people eating with sustainability in mind to reduce their climate “foodprint,” Axios‘ Jennifer A. Kingson reports.
Why it matters: Manufacturers, restaurants, and supermarkets are racing to cater to the zeal for lower-carbon choices, which has people eschewing plastic packaging, ingredients flown in from afar, and foods that are environmentally damaging to produce.
The big picture: While there’s plenty of disagreement about what to avoid, top villains include faves like red meat, chocolate, avocados, sugar, and — gasp — coffee.
The “eat local” mantra is being replaced by the notion that what you eat is more important — since transportation is sometimes a small part of your meal’s carbon footprint.
Driving the news: Terms like “climatarian” are getting newfound attention from corporate America as young consumers seek “green” diets.
Restaurant chains like Just Salad, Chipotle, and Panera Bread are putting “carbon labels” on foods.
The intrigue: There’s a dizzying nomenclature affiliated with climate-conscious eating, with meaningful yet hard-to-parse differences. Others include “climatarian,” “sustainatarian,” “regenivore” and more.
