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As more and more Swedes choose to buy more vegetarians and the demand for green alternatives increases, many think it becomes more important to know which alternatives are the best for the environment.
– We see that there is a strong tendency to want to eat vegetarian. So we want to help and deepen the knowledge about the vegan choice in everyday life, says Anna Richert.
In the WWF guide, they use a color system with green, yellow and orange, to mark which options are good and less good. Alternatives marked with orange or yellow light have a greater impact on biodiversity and climate than those with green light. There are different options of vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, vegan protein and cereals that are evaluated in the guide.
“Choose organic products”
– Some simple tips are to choose organic products. Start with products that have a green light in the guide. Then you can add those that get light yellow or orange as a spice or fancy goods, she says.
– This is the risk of loss of biodiversity, especially for products grown in tropical regions.
The guide is based on a scientific basis from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Biodiversity, pesticides, climate and water are four aspects of sustainability that have been evaluated.
Root vegetables, charcoal, grains, and most legumes get the nod in the guide and are more durable. This is largely due to the fact that they use resources wisely and production has a very low climate impact.
The guide can be found at wwf.se/vegoguiden
These are the items to avoid:
Fruits and berries:
According to the guide, you should preferably avoid eating bananas, dates, mangoes, and papayas, more than once in a while. These plants can have a negative impact on the water resources in the immediate area and therefore can damage the climate and biodiversity.
Other reasons why certain products are marked in yellow or orange may be due to the fact that they are transported long distances to reach Sweden. It can often be by air.
Legumes, vegas, nuts and seeds:
According to Anna Richert, the fact that so many nuts are marked in yellow and orange is because they have a great impact on biodiversity since various pesticides are used in cultivation. This is something that has a negative impact on the weather.
Therefore, cashews, hazelnuts, coconut, almonds, pistachios, sesame seeds and walnuts are marked in orange.
Vegetables and mushrooms:
Avocados, Green Beans and South America / Africa Peas, Olives and Asparagus have been marked with an orange flag in the guide. That is, the cultivation of these goods can take place in areas with high biological diversity and can also have a high impact on water resources.
– Especially when it comes to avocados, there is a risk of a high impact on biodiversity. It is grown in areas where biodiversity is high. When the forest is then cut down to grow avocados, the situation worsens for local plants and animals, says Anna Richert.
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