The impact of our food consumption on the climate is now being investigated by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) on behalf of Ja! Natürlich and Greenpeace. The joint study evaluates the climate impact of various popular foods, such as bread or apples. Although the climate crisis affects us all, individuals often have the feeling that they can do little to protect the climate. This is where Ja! Natürlich is also addressing this with its 2021 climate campaign. To kick off the focus, experts will discuss the topic on March 25th from 6 p.m. at the Ja! Natürlich online climate talk.
"Organic from Ja! Natürlich has always meant responsibility towards people, nature, animals and the environment. With continuously further developed self-imposed production standards and holding conditions that go far beyond the legal minimum requirements for organic food. In this way, together with our strong partners in domestic organic agriculture, we have made an important contribution to climate protection from the very beginning. However, we also see that many consumers are still little aware of the connections between the form of agricultural production and the effects on the climate. That is why we are now focusing on transparency and orientation," explains Head of Ja! Natürlich Klaudia Atzmüller. The aim of the climate focus, which started at the beginning of March, is not only to inform Austrians about the positive impact of regional organic farming on the climate.
Together with Greenpeace and FiBL, an independently conducted study is examining the climate impact of various foods and evaluating how production can be made even more climate-friendly. The results of the study are to be presented in the summer. "Due to the Corona crisis, people in Austria are much more aware of how valuable regional, nature-friendly and diverse food is. Environmentally friendly food production is crucial in the fight against the climate crisis. In contrast, factory farming, plant sprays or intensive cultivation pollute our environment and fuel the climate crisis. Our high meat consumption and the associated need for feed also harm our climate - because valuable natural areas are often destroyed for feed from overseas and they cause emissions due to the long transport route. We need to change our food system now to regional, seasonal, organic consumption and thus protect the climate and the environment," says Sophie Lampl, Programme Director at Greenpeace in Austria.
Organic farming is good for our climate: Healthy soil as climate protector
Organic farming is the most environmentally, resource and climate-friendly form of land management. By dispensing with synthetic chemical sprays, it ensures healthier and more fertile soil. This is not only a natural habitat for beneficial insects. The humus-rich soil stores a particularly large amount of CO2 and thus protects the climate. Biologists and agricultural experts like Andreas Kranzler from FiBL Austria emphasise that our climate is highly dependent on intact soils: "Domestic organic farmers make an important contribution to climate protection every day by maintaining healthy soils in Austria."
Climate protection on the plate: a combination of organic, regional and seasonal are the solution
By avoiding transport emissions and promoting natural farming methods, seasonal products from regional agriculture are particularly climate friendly. Ja! Natürlich has always relied on the principle of Austrian origin wherever possible. Everything in the product range that is available in Austria also comes from local farmers. That is more than 80 percent of the assortment of about 1,100 Ja! Natürlich products - for the remaining 20 percent, the principle of sourcing products from the closest possible origin applies. Air transportation, for example, is taboo at Ja! Natürlich. These short routes further reduce the CO2 balance. Transportation is also avoided when consumers choose seasonal products - and these are also increasingly offered in the shops.
5,000 tonnes of CO2 saved: Ja! Natürlich has been using green packaging for over 10 years
In addition to the production method and the origin of a food product, the topic of packaging also plays a role in the climate context. Ja! Natürlich has been reducing packaging, especially plastic packaging, for its products since 2011. By omitting packaging and using packaging alternatives such as grass paper or cellulose film, over 5,000 tonnes of CO2 have already been saved. This is equivalent to planting around 1 million trees! This contributes noticeably to an improvement of the climate balance of the Ja! Natürlich product range and is considered particularly important by consumers. Therefore, Ja! Natürlich is continuously expanding the amount of green packaging - since March, for example, the organic light milk is now also available in returnable glass bottles.
At the start of the joint study, Ja! Natürlich, Greenpeace and FiBL together with GDI trend researcher Karin Frick will discuss "Climate protection starts at the plate - Can organic farming save our climate? The climate talk can be seen from 25 March, 6 p.m. on http://www.janatuerlich.at/klimatalk
