Food Facts

Action: Eat meat-free meals one day a week

Most of the world’s water is used for agriculture. But did you know that meat production and processing requires far more water than any other form of food production? Food animals are also the world’s largest users of land – for pastures and land used to grow fodder crops. Vegetable and grain production uses a fraction of the resources it takes to raise the equivalent protein value in meat.

Canadians eat more than twice (!) as much meat as the global average and three times the amount recommended by the World Cancer Research Fund. Along with Australia and the United States, we consume more meat per person than every other country in the world. Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians have a 24 per cent reduction in mortality from heart disease (even when lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise and socio-economic status are taken into account). Eating meatless also reduces exposure to chemicals and antibiotics fed to livestock.

Here’s what you can do to make a difference.

Action: Eat locally whenever possible.

Anything that travels – including food – generates greenhouse gases, the main culprit in climate change, so the less distance something has to move to get to your mouth, the better. Buying local also means fewer chemicals to protect foods while they travel, which helps conserve precious farmlands and wildlife.

The average meal travels 2400 km (1500 miles) from field to table! Local food is fresher and better for you than food shipped long distances because chemicals used to prevent mould and fungus growth during shipping are harmful to your health. Organic farming is better for the environment than conventional methods but importing organic produce from far away offsets some of the environmental benefits because all that travelling increases greenhouse gases.

Here’s how you can help.

Action: Replace chemical pesticides on your lawn, garden & houseplants with non-toxic alternatives.

Exposure to pesticides can lead to health problems for those working and playing in your yard, especially small children and pets who are more likely to get dirt and other contaminated materials in their mouths. Research links pesticide exposure to serious illnesses such as cancers (leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and some neurological diseases. More than 6,000 cases of pesticide poisonings are reported in Canada each year and nearly half involve children under age six.

Gardens and lawns flourish without chemical pesticides and they are healthier for nature and the people who enjoy them. Concerns about the impacts of pesticides have led a number of Canadian cities (External PDF) to ban their use altogether.

Here’s how you can play a part.



Pesticide Poisoning – It’s real. It’s unfortunate. It’s also preventable. And it’s happening in backyards across Canada.  Read Northern Exposure for more information.

Download the Green Guide (PDF)
Download the Science of the Challenge (PDF)

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