For my project I intend to investigate the environmental impact of a vegetarian diet versus an omnivorous one, through the lens of a specific (and cliche) food item. I plan to complete a cradle to grave research investigation of the environmental degradation incurred during the production of a Burger King veggie burger and that incurred during the production of a Burger King hamburger.
I plan to begin by looking into the origin of the beef used in the hamburgers and the vegetables used in the veggie burgers and examine the carbon emissions that go into production of each. Then through examining transport, cooking and packaging I hope to gain a sense of the true cost of each item.
Although I expect actual production of the vegetables used in the veggie burger to have fewer emissions than the beef, I know that there are several vegetables in each burger. The separate vegetables are probably grown several locations and therefore emit more during transportation. If this turns out to be true it may prove that, in terms of dining responsibly and reducing carbon emissions, being a vegetarian isn’t always enough.
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I would be interested to learn the outcome of your research. The more and more I learn about the food industry, I feel both motivated and hopeless. It is almost eerie how little we know about what we are putting into our bodies. The USDA has such a strong lobbying force that we do not know about much of the nutritional, environmental, and humanitarian compromises are made along the way to bringing our food to the table. I myself am a vegetarian, and I know you are as well, and am always striving to learn about how I can be a more responsible food and material consumer. Any tips that I can get from you after learning more about food production would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think Burger King you do not exactly think enviornmental fad and on that point I would love to see what conclusions come out of your project. I always see those vegetarian burgers and since I do not eat regular burgers I often times consider them but never end up buying one. But honestly I have never even thought to go so indepth into the making of a single burger, so I wait impatiently to see the outcome!
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