Why am I launching the Food, Farms, and Climate Substack

by Marianne Krasny

In launching the Food, Farms, and Climate SubStack, I will help my readers to understand the science and politics behind how food systems shape the climate, and to take lifestyle and advocacy actions that create healthier food systems for people and the planet.

I plan to explore questions like: Is regenerative or factory farming best for the climate? How do people weigh family traditions, the environment, and health in deciding to whether to include red meat in their meals? What are the nutrition and climate outcomes of a growing array of “alt-proteins?” I also plan to explore questions around food waste, to link food and farming with politics, and to address an array of climate topics in the news.

Being a professor at one of the world’s premier agriculture universities gives me easy access to the expertise of some of the world’s top biophysical and social scientists.

But the science isn’t the end all. My readers deserve a voice in the future of our food systems. I’ll share:

Lifestyle actions — Like cooking healthy and climate-friendly, plant-based meals.

Advocacy actions — Like writing a letter to your elected officials to support the Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act, which supports US schools serving healthier meals.¹ Or supporting the European Union Deforestation Regulation, which helps farmers grow cattle, cocoa and coffee without destroying tropical forests.

Philanthropy actions — Out of all the worthwhile climate nonprofit organizations or startups, which ones should I choose to support?

Network climate actions — Regardless of whether you take lifestyle, advocacy, or philanthropy actions, you can influence your friends and family (your social network) to take those actions alongside you. I call this “network climate action.” These actions address the question: What strategies can I use to nudge people in the right direction without being a nag, without shaming, and while having fun — a subject about which I’ve written a pair of books: In This Together: Connecting with your Community to Combat the Climate Crisis and Advancing Environmental Education Practice.

There are tons of solutions to the climate crisis — experimental farms studying how to store soil carbon, precision agriculture, and mixing mushrooms or even apple pomace with ground beef to reduce overall meat emissions, to name a few. Billions of dollars went into the Green Revolution to feed billions of people. We need a similar commitment to figure out what works in regenerative and factory farming and in influencing consumers to eat more plant-based meals. I invite you to come along with me to explore Food, Farm, and Climate stories and solutions to help make this happen.

What you can expect

I aim to post four-five articles each month.

One longer article about food solutions to the climate crisis. These articles will be based on scientific research and may go counter to what many environmentalists believe. For example, I will present evidence that factory farming may be better for the climate than regenerative farming, at least in the short term. I will attempt to be balanced, giving the scientific evidence for and against various farm and food practices. Each piece will include actions you can take. Some longer articles will coincide with holidays and events — expect an article about sustainable chocolate before Valentine’s Day.

One article arguing for a point of view. For example, “Why the Debate Pitting Individual vs Collective Action is Misguided.”

One or two short pieces covering climate policy (may or may not be related to food). For instance, “Four Attacks Trump and his EPA are Launching on Air Quality, and Four Actions You Can Take to Stop Them.”

One surprise piece. Something from the news that strikes my fancy.

Why food and farms?

Anywhere from 10-30% of total global emissions come from food and farming. If we can break down what part of the food system these emissions come from, and how food and farming can be part of the solution, we can take informed lifestyle, advocacy, and philanthropy actions to slow climate change.

Why me?

I have long wanted to do what’s best for the environment. But it wasn’t until I read Drawdown’s list of 100 climate solutions, and saw reducing meat consumption and food waste near the top, that I realized I could start helping the environment through what I eat and discard in my everyday life. I have written about climate for Forbes News, engaged Cornell undergraduates and online students from around the world in food solutions to climate, and promoted food-climate advocacy through volunteering with Elders Climate Action, Climate Reality Project, and Climate Action Now. But I still have questions about what works to curb our emissions. Feed additives for cattle? Standardizing food date labels to discourage consumers from throwing away good food? Writing to elected officials or participating in a boycott? I invite you to explore these questions — and research-backed answers and actions — with me.

1. Note: When I mention US legislation, the live link will often go to Climate Action Now. Once you register your US address on the site or app, you can automatically send a letter to your elected officials supporting the climate policy I mentioned.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my brother Ted Krasny for his comments on drafts of this article.