FreeportCAN Action Group:

Food

About a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is linked to food. Eating more sustainably and reducing waste is essential to fighting climate change.

Impact

Food needs to be grown and processed, transported, distributed, prepared, consumed, and sometimes disposed of. Each of these steps creates greenhouse gases that trap the sun’s heat and contribute to climate change. Additionally, 30-40% of food in Maine is wasted. Shifting diets and addressing food waste can significantly reduce the demand for food.

Eating lower on the food chain and ensuring what’s grown gets eaten is a powerful combination that preserves our resources and lowers emissions. The Food Action Group works to educate our community about the carbon impact of our food habits, and make climate-friendly food options more available.

What you can do

Cutting meat consumption is a powerful and personal thing you can do to tackle the climate crisis, and you can do it immediately. About 40 percent of greenhouse gases come from agriculture, deforestation and other land-use changes. Meat—particularly beef—drives climate change by the production of methane and the destruction of forests. Eating more plant-based meals not only helps slow climate change, but is also good for your health!
There are lots of ways to get nutritious, affordable food while minimizing your carbon footprint. Support local farms and join a CSA, grow your own food, or if you don’t have space, join a community garden.
When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And if food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide. But there are many actions you can take to reduce food waste in your home and community.
 
The FreeportCAN Food Committee created and operates the Freeport Farmers Market in an effort to fight climate change by creating an opportunity to eat local, support local farms, and get the community engaged. By shopping at the market, people are able to buy food that hasn’t needed extensive transportation and packaging, and support the work of local farmers. Local farms also create less waste than large production facilities, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The market now has 25 +/- vendors each week, and a growing number of community members who see the benefits of this addition to the town.

Join Us!

Act local and drive climate action now!

Only with a true community-wide effort will we meet our climate action goals.

If you have experience or interest in this area, we hope you will join a group of fellow activists in efforts to inspire action that is commensurate with the scale and urgency of the problem.

GET INVOLVED

How We're taking action

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