#065 Blue Foods May Be the Green Future
Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 65
Blue Foods May Be the Green Future
There is no doubt that our daily diet plays a major role in our environmental impact. Our choices of the food that we consume on a daily basis does make a difference. In fact it makes such a big difference that private industry as well as some governments around the world are investigating alternative protein sources, especially from the prospective of sustainability.
But the good news is that even small changes can add up to significant environmental benefits. One area in particular that is being looked at very closely is what is called “blue foods”. Large segments of private industry are actually racing to gain an edge is this market.
If you want to learn more then listen to this episode which is called Blue Foods May Be the Green Future.
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is episode #65 which is called Blue Foods May Be the Green Future.
Certainly by this time I have made it quite obvious in some of my previous episodes that our choices not only drive the market place but those choices also have a significant impact on the environment. This is especially true with our diet.
We already know that our agricultural industry is one of the greatest drivers of global warming. With the population of the world predicted to be 9.3 billion by 2050, it is estimated that food production would have to increase by as much as 60% in order to feed the planet. But doing this with a farming-as-usual approach would take a heavy and irreversible impact on the environment. Consequently, we have no choice but to find a sustainable alternative.
There is a lot of focus of course on the impact of meat based protein versus plant based protein sources. We already know that plant based proteins have significantly less ecological impact relative to something such as beef. That said, it is also obvious that not everyone in the world is willing, or even able to become a vegetarian or a vegan.
What we also know is that not all meats are created equal from the standpoint of sustainability. Some animals have a greater impact than others. This is why I believe if we simply pay closer attention to what we eat and reorganize our diet a bit, we can make a big difference in our individual impact. Our diet makes up about 18% of our total environmental footprint and we can all make a huge difference by making careful choices and not give up our favorite foods.
While I will be the first to admit that I find nothing more tasty than a big juicy steak fresh off the grill, I know very well that is not a very sustainable choice. Consequently over the last couple of years I have reduced my beef consumption by about 75%. Not only that, since working so much on this podcast one the last year I can never go in the supermarket and look at anything the same anymore. I look at my food choices with a very discerning eye and wonder what I can choose that has the least impact without a total dietary over haul especially when it comes to protein.
Mostly that is a matter of educating yourself. While many of us may sit back in awe at what is happening in the world and simply feel as if what we do makes no difference whatsoever, most of us are overlooking a very powerful tool at our disposal. While perhaps none of us can go up against big government, big business, or big oil, there is one thing we have at our disposal that is a very powerful tool.
In many ways we will all be waiting until the middle of the next century before we will see meaningful changes if we wait on the government. But the good news is that we can all have an impact starting today by simply making better choices.
But if you are at all like me, you go to the supermarket and stare at things sometimes and contemplate your best choices. But I would like to point out that there is a very good alternative source of protein that most of us overlook yet it is one of the most sustainable. Yet this market is growing very rapidly and there is now a tremendous interest in what is called “blue foods”.
Now this concept of “blue foods” versus “green foods” was something new to me. But you can sort of think of this as surf versus turf. While there are a number of reasons for such a great interest in blue foods, one of the biggest reasons is the rising concern over the future of food security for our growing population.
We Are at a Crossroads
There is absolutely no doubt we are at a crossroads from the perspective of sustainability. Even now, one in ten people in the world is under nourished. Yet our population continues to grow and we have yet to pin down the type of diet that would be both healthy and sustainable. And so far most of the discussion has been focused on terrestrial food supplies and soil based agriculture and “blue foods” have been mostly overlooked.
But that is starting to change because the oceans cover 71% of our planet yet we only obtain 17% of our protein and 2% of our total caloric intake from the oceans. Furthermore, recent research such as the Blue Food Assessment shows that the oceans can help us meet our challenges of climate change and food security.
So what exactly is considered a blue food and why is it important?
You can think of blue foods as anything that is derived from aquatic animals, plants, that are caught or cultivated in freshwater or the marine environment. This includes fish, shellfish, seaweed and even algae. Presently there are approximately 2,500 species of fish, invertebrates, aquatic plants, and even algae that are caught and cultivated for food. And the majority of this is performed by small scales fisheries and aquaculture.
The huge benefit is that these types of foods provide many essential nutrients such as omega-3s, iron, zinc, and various vitamins and help to prevent heart disease and diabetes. Besides that, these types of foods can play an important role in supporting a resilient planet. Blue foods require less land, less fresh water, and are much more efficient in converting feed to usable protein relative to terrestrial animals. Consequently, blue foods have very little environmental impact and a low carbon footprint.
All that being said, blue foods may sound like the perfect solution for a sustainable food source. But as with any source of food production, there are challenges that must be overcome.
While there is considerable debate over the ecological efficiency of wild caught versus farmed aquatic animals, what we do already know is that there is a stark difference in the diversity of aquatic farming compared with land based agriculture. For example, only a handful of farmed animals such as chicken, pigs, sheep and cattle provide the bulk of meat eaten by humans. However, there are more than 400 aquatic animal species are are now productively being farmed. This provides a much greater variety of food and this variety of food sources improves our food security.
While seafood has the potential to provide people with high value nutrition while concurrently reducing our overall environmental impact, the challenge is that most seafood is all lumped together. This make it hard to compare it to other food sources.
On a global basis the most commonly farmed species are trout, salmon, carp, tilapia, and catfish. All of which have an environmental impact similar to that of chicken. As far as farming fish is concerned, we also know that how fish are raised makes a big difference. For example, filter feeding carps raised in fresh water systems has a lot less impact. Oysters, clams, and mussels also filter feed and have very little environmental impact.
Furthermore, there have been some very recent studies that highlight the fact that many fish and other seafoods have an over abundance of important nutrients. Compared to chicken, trout have 19 times more omega-3 fatty acids. Oysters and mussels have 76 times more vitamin B-12. Carp have 9 times more calcium.
Industry Improvements are Needed
Now I do realize that there is a lot of debate over the sustainability of farmed fish. And just like any other food production activity, it is going to have some ecological impact. The industry does need to make numerous improvements and the choices of fish that are farmed, technology and practices, proper planning for space requirements, disease reduction, the feed that is use, as well as many other things.
Other areas that are being researched include the viability and sustainability of raising fish in large tanks on land. There are also numerous studies that have compared the ecological impact of various types of seafoods relative to standard livestock production.
Despite much needed improvements in the industry, there is literally a tidal wave of interest in farming the seas. And this is simply part of a global rush to exploits the resources available from the ocean. In fact it is being dubbed “blue acceleration”.
There are projections that shellfish production could increase by as much as 75% in the next 30 years by simply farming at sea. Other estimates say that an ocean aquaculture area the size of Lake Michigan could produce the same amount of sea food as all the world’s wild caught fisheries combined. And because of the tremendous interest in farming the oceans, there is tremendous development in this industry despite the fact this is a very contentious and ethical issue. But if done properly, the oceans could be a huge part of our food security on a global level.
What do Consumers Do?
But the question remains of what should we do as consumers in order to enjoy seafood and reduce our environmental impact. Just the other day I was standing in the supermarket looking at all the different types of fish and other seafoods and I had no idea what to choose. This was mainly because of my own lack of knowledge on what is sustainable and what isn’t.
But I was also standing there thinking about this Netflix documentary called Seaspiracy. If you have ever seen that documentary it will make you think you should never eat seafood again. If you have an interest in watching this documentary I strongly suggest you follow that by reading an article called The Science of Seaspiracy. I will have a link to that article in the transcript for this episode. That article was written by a marine scientist who basically debunked a good portion of the information presented in the documentary. All I am saying is that it is good to look at both sides of the issue.
But, if you are like me when you go to purchase fish and you have no idea on what to choose, then allow me to give you a few guidelines. In a very broad sense there are several issues to consider when purchasing fish from the perspective of sustainability. Those are carbon footprint, biodiversity, and catch method. So, let’s take a quick look at each one of these factors.
Carbon Footprint
Most seafood consumed in the US in flown in from China or Southeast Asia which requires huge amounts of energy and thus has a significant ecological footprint. Frozen fish has less impact.
Biodiversity
As Americans, we tend to stick to mainly four types of fish: shrimp, salmon, tuna, and cod. This produces a disproportionate amount of pressure on these fisheries and the industry sectors will eventually resort of other damaging measures to catch enough of these species. As consumers it is therefore far better for the environment if we eat a huge variety of fish.
Catch Method
And lastly, consider how the seafood was raised and caught. Sea food is either wild caught of farmed. Wild caught is often better but not always. Fish caught with dredging methods causes huge environmental damage.
But from a sustainability perspective, some of the best choices in seafood is oysters, sardines, sable fish, Atlantic mackerel, and Alaskan salmon. Other examples are as follows:
Anchovies: these little guys are at the bottom of the food chain and repopulate quickly
Farmed Arctic Char: This fish is a good substitute for salmon or trout. It takes well to be farmed in recirculating aquaculture systems which have some of the least environmental impact.
Farmed Clams, Mussels, Oysters and Scallops: these critters get their nutrients from the water and thus do not need to be fed. They also do not produce any waste so they do not contaminate the environment like farmed fish do.
Hake: This fish is part of the cod family
Alaskan salmon. This is a good sustainable choice because wild alaskan salmon are closely regulated and the stock of fish remains healthy.
Now I realize that this is just a very quick rundown. But if you want a lot more information then go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Database. This is a fantastic website where you can easily search for the best alternatives for seafood.
Summary
So in closing I want to point out a few things and perhaps offer a few easy to remember guidelines just to get you thinking from the perspective of sustainability.
First off, think of what you had to eat for your last meal. Almost every single ingredient in your last meal was grown on a piece of land that used to be wildlife habitat. More than 50% of the arable land on this planet has been cleared for agriculture production. Land based food production continues to be the largest driver for loss of biodiversity, species extinction, greenhouse gas production and climate change.
Now, should you feel guilty about this? Absolutely not. Trading wilderness for farm land to feed people was a decision made by our ancestor centuries ago. This is not something we can change at this point in our history. However, there are numerous ways to significantly reduce our impact.
If you truly want to make a difference, then start by reducing you consumption of animal products and shift away from eating so much red meat. Think of eating more foods that are lower on the food chain. Add more fruits, fresh vegetables, and grains to your diet and reduce your red meat intake.
And remember that “blue foods” are truly some of the most nutritious foods on the planet with the least ecological impact. Things such as clams, oysters, mussels, and squid are low on the food chain, packed with nutrients, and are quite sustainable. In fact, several studies have shown that a selective diet of aquaculture and wild caught fisheries has a lower ecological impact that even a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Even things such as seaweed are highly nutritious. Another good example is Spirulina, which is a blue green algae that grows in either fresh or salt waters all around the globe. Spirulina is a plant based protein that is one of the most nutrient dense foods on earth. It also happens to provide pain relief, is a potent anti-oxidant, and has anti-inflammatory and brain protective properties.
There are tremendous benefits and so much potential for “blue foods” to play a big part as a sustainable protein source for a growing world population. Some people even believe that farming the seas is the only way we are going to be able to feed the planet.
That said, we must also take into account that our agricultural systems are the main source of food and income for most of the world’s poor and food-insecure people, around 75% of whom live in rural areas. Consequently, it is our agricultural systems that are at the heart of the solution of the issue of sustainability both economically and socially. No matter what choice we make, our success in developing a sustainable future also has to take into account even the most marginalized people on the planet. After all, in many cases these are the folks that are producing a significant portion of our food.
The global seafood industry actually employs hundreds of millions of people many of which are in some of the poorest countries in the world. Yes the industry needs improvement. Yes there are a lot of people working on that very issue. Despite what you may see in documentaries such as Seaspiracy, if you simply look at the hard science, the oceans are in far better shape than what we have been lead to believe.
Truly our planet is at a crossroads. I am thoroughly convinced of that especially after spending the last year or so working on this podcast. We have to make changes, maybe even sacrifices. But we are not yet past the point of no return. We have numerous alternatives and some fantastic technology that we can use to our advantage. But we must focus on the more sustainable options. We must also not forget that we tend to use money and technology to solve our problems instead of addressing the underlying behavior that got us in the predicament in the first place. That is where making better choices comes into play.
There is no doubt that the oceans could be used as a means to provides us with a sustainable source of food security and also help us to address climate change. There is so much potential that has yet to be harnessed and many people are starting to realize that blue foods may just be the green future.
Well that’s it for this week folks. If you continue to enjoy the material that I produce can you please take the time to leave me with a review. I would greatly appreciate it. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast as well as my companion blog Off Grid Living News. And as always, don’t forget to take advantage of all the resources in the transcript of this episode.
But for now, this is your host Patrick signing off until next week. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.
Resources
Center for Sustainable Systems: Carbon Footprint Factsheet , University of Michigan
Farming the Sea: The Only Way to Meet Humanity’s Future Food Needs
The Science of Sustainable Seafood
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Database
How Fish Can Still Be Part of a More sustainable Food Future
Can Farmed Fish Feed the World Without Destroying the Environment
Farming Fish in Fresh Water is More Affordable and Sustainable Than in the Ocean
Patrick
