Carbon Footprint of Meat Calculator: Chicken, Beef, Steak, Bison, Turkey

Understanding the carbon footprint of meat is important for anyone who wants to reduce their diet related emissions.

Meat consumption, and the related agriculture, is responsible for part of the global emissions problem, so knowing which meats have the highest footprint can help you lower them.

Protein replacements like eggs and other veggie based substitutes can help.

Use this meat carbon footprint calculator to measure the emissions generated by store bought meat.

With this meat carbon footprint, you can then decide on your dietary choices.

This complete guide explains how these emissions are measured, and what you can do to reduce them.

Carbon Footprint of Different Meats: Meat Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint of Chicken: Chicken Carbon Footprint Per Kg

Chicken’s carbon footprint is 6.9 kg of CO₂ per kilogram, equivalent to driving for 16 miles. Suppose you are a meat lover but are eco-conscious?

In that case, poultry meat is your safest bet since it produces fewer emissions throughout the various phases, from production and processing to cooking.

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Beef?

Beef has almost four times the carbon footprint of chicken since it produces up to 27 kg of CO₂ per kilogram.

Cows also need a lot of land, water, and inputs and are heavy methane (greenhouse gas) emitters.

Is the Carbon Footprint Chicken the Lowest Produced By Meat?

Chicken is safer for the environment than beef, but on the other hand, it is a higher carbon emitter than food from sheep and tuna.⁷

How Much CO₂ Does a Chicken Produce in Its Lifetime?

Poultry has a massive role to play in global warming.⁸ The carbon produced by chickens is from the food they eat and the manure they produce, whose byproduct is methane. The fossil fuels used to run chicken farms also contribute to the high footprint.

Luckily, poultry is more environmentally friendly than cows and larger domestic animals. Generally, they are responsible for about 0.6 gigatons of CO₂, approximately 8% of emissions from livestock.

Representation of Carbon Footprint Examples From Various Foods: What Food Has the Highest Carbon Footprint?

The carbon footprint of meat is one of the highest of all other foods, and the following is a list of the top ten highest carbon producers and their counts.

Food	Emission (Kg)
Lamb	39.2
Beef	27.0
Cheese	13.5
Pork	12.1
Turkey	10.9
Chicken	6.9
Tuna	6.1
Eggs	4.8
Potatoes	2.9
Rice	2.7

Is the Carbon Footprint of Imported Food Higher Than Local Food?

If you buy imported animal products, you should know that they have a higher carbon footprint than local products.

You can get a beef and dairy carbon offset to help reduce the emissions from imported food.

Besides the methane produced during rearing and CO₂ from machinery and fertilizers in the country you are importing from, you must also factor in the effect of shipping to you as the final consumer.

Eating local is an effective way to reduce the footprint since the food miles are less, and buying from farmers in the country improves the economy.

About 11% of the GHG emissions related to food come from transportation, and you will be making a difference by avoiding foreign animal products.

Carbon Footprint of Vegan Diet vs Meat Diet

While animal-based foods account for 57% of food emissions, plant foods are only responsible for 29%.

Beef, pork, and cow milk are the most significant contributors to the tally, but rice is the highest emitter out of other plant-based foods, which all have relatively low counts.⁷

There is a massive difference between the carbon footprint of meat and emissions from vegan diets; for instance, 2.5kg of carbon emanates from producing wheat, while you will release 70kg of CO₂ when producing one kilo of beef.⁵

Therefore, people on vegan and vegetarian diets encourage climate justice. A global switch in the diet⁹ to plant-based foods or at least a flexitarian diet will cause one of the most massive emission turnarounds, estimated at around eight billion tons by 2050.¹

Meat Industry CO₂ Emissions Percentage Compared to Other Sources

The carbon footprint of meat is the highest compared to plants (29%) and other foods. Animals require a lot of food for meat production, and heavy machinery is involved in their care, leading to a high carbon footprint.⁷

Based on this staggering difference, one suggested way to combat global warming is to adopt a dietary change. Given the gradual increase in food demand worldwide, the overreliance on meat will only worsen the situation.

How Is Carbon Footprint Calculated? How Do You Know Your Carbon Footprint?

Manufacturing companies are responsible for most GHG emissions globally, but people also have a role to play in the total carbon footprint. Everyday activities, however insignificant, can negatively affect the environment, and it is best to know your count, which helps you make necessary adjustments.

One start is using carbon ecological footprint calculators that measure your emissions from various lifestyle choices, from the food you eat and how you travel to the clothes you wear. You can start by calculating the energy you use at home, including gas and electricity.

Your travel mode also determines your total footprint because cars, motorbikes, and planes emit various carbon levels.

Your shopping habits will also contribute to your count based on the electronics and clothing you buy and where you buy them.²

Carbon Footprint Calculator: How To Use a Food Carbon Footprint Calculator

You can easily calculate your footprint from your diet, considering where you buy (import or export) and the types you often consume. Generally, the footprint for a vegetarian and a person on a meat diet vary since plants are not heavy carbon emitters.³

The footprint calculator software is straightforward and only requires you to enter essential data about your food for it to calculate the emissions. You will receive your count in a few seconds, and it helps that sites also have offset tips.

When calculating your food footprint, you will enter your diet, the scale of your appetite, how often you eat takeout, and your weekly alcohol intake.

How To Reduce Carbon Footprint: How To Reduce Carbon Emissions From Food

Here are some tips on how you can reduce carbon footprint of your diet.

Switch Your Diet

Compared to vegetarians, meat consumers emit twice the carbon footprint from their diet, and you can alter your choices to feature more plant-based proteins.

It will be kinder to the planet, and the best part is that vegans and vegetarians lead healthier lifestyles. They are usually in better shape and have less risk of illnesses like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Cook Smart

You can reduce your footprint by limiting your oven use and eating raw food. You can also use the microwave for heating since it uses less energy and boils cooking and drinking water in electric kettles. Environmental impact of meat production

Eat Organic

Organic farming doesn’t negatively affect the environment like standard methods since farmers use natural fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, animals don’t feed on GMOs, making it the safest route; besides, organic foods are more nutritious for you.⁴

Shop Wisely

Impulse buying is also detrimental to the environment because you may purchase things you don’t need. It always helps to have a shopping list, buy bulk items, and avoid heavily processed foods or those with a lot of packaging.

Grow Your Food

If your home has a spacious backyard or kitchen garden, you can reduce your carbon footprint by growing your food.

You will always have chemical-free, cheap, and easily accessible food since you don’t have to travel far to restock.

Livestock Greenhouse Gas Emissions Percentage Compared to Other Sources

Based on the chart below,¹⁰ you can tell that the highest GHG contributor to the atmosphere is electricity and heat, followed closely by industrial emissions at 25 and 21%, respectively.

The agricultural sector is the third highest emitter at 14.5%.

Pigs, cows, chickens, and other livestock significantly contribute to global warming; therefore, you have a crucial part to play as the consumer to ensure that the levels drop.

Environmental Impact of Meat Production: How Does Meat Production Affect Climate Change?

Meat comes from livestock like cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs, and studies show that this sector produces one of the highest carbon levels after industries and energy.

Beef alone is responsible for 4-8 times the emissions from chicken and pork (and in some cases, even higher).

Check out the beef carbon footprint calculator.

Other ruminants like sheep and goats also feed on grass, whose byproduct is methane, one of the most lethal greenhouse gasses. Animals also require large parcels of land for grazing, meaning forests are sometimes cleared for more room.

The land that could otherwise go to planting trees and crops converts to housing and caring for the animals. Besides, livestock feed on a lot of food that requires machinery to manufacture, meaning more carbon emissions.

Additionally, processed meat goes through factories to create the final product, and the industries are the second highest carbon emitters worldwide. Packaging the end products and shipping them to the consumer also means more pollution.