Cool Food Pledge

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

The efforts to lower the greenhouse gas emissions of the food system are not just coming from the new administration. Consumers and food companies are actively finding ways to reduce their carbon footprints. Several companies have taken the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Cool Food Pledge.

Waite… “It's about 40 companies right now and a few city governments and hospitals, universities, restaurant chains. And they've collectively pledged to reduce the greenhouse gas associated with the food that they're buying and serving by 25% by 2030.”

That’s Richard Waite, Senior Research Associate at WRI, which helps these companies track their progress toward sourcing food that is less taxing to the planet.

Waite… “They track the different types of foods that they purchased over the year, and they report that to us. We help them estimate the associated greenhouse gas emissions. We play that back to the companies and then we report out once a year, how the group is doing.”

WRI also provides recommendations on how the companies can further reduce their carbon footprint.

Waite… “Changing the types of dishes that they're serving, or sort of their cafeteria or menu layout, promoting certain dishes, sort of taking the latest from behavioral science to help them think through a plan of given the way their business works what are some different things that they could be doing to move their offerings in a more climate friendly direction.”

It’s important to be aware of these initiatives as they will have impacts on the farm of the future.