Is a vegan diet always better for the environment?

Generally yes, but not always. A well-planned vegan diet typically has 50-70% lower emissions than a meat-heavy diet. However, some plant foods like air-freighted exotic fruits, greenhouse-grown vegetables, or heavily processed alternatives can have surprisingly high footprints. Local, seasonal plant foods are usually the lowest-impact choice. Rice production also generates significant methane emissions.

How accurate are these emission factors?

Our emission factors come from peer-reviewed research, primarily the comprehensive Poore & Nemecek (2018) study in Science journal and data from Our World in Data. These represent global averages—actual emissions vary by farming practices, location, and transportation. For example, grass-fed beef can have lower or higher emissions than feedlot beef depending on land use. The values provide useful comparisons between foods.

What's a 'serving' for each food?

We use standard serving sizes: meat/fish is 100g (3.5 oz), eggs is 2 eggs, milk is 1 cup (250ml), cheese is 50g (1.75 oz), rice/legumes is 1 cup cooked, bread is 2 slices, vegetables/fruits is about 1 cup or 1 medium piece, nuts is 30g (1 oz), coffee is 1 cup, chocolate is 50g bar. Adjust quantities if your portions differ.

Does food transportation matter much?

Less than you'd think. Transport typically accounts for less than 10% of a food's total emissions—what you eat matters more than where it's from. The exception is air-freighted produce (out-of-season berries, fresh fish). Shipping by sea is very efficient. The biggest impact comes from production: beef from next door has a higher footprint than lentils shipped from across the world.

How can I reduce my food carbon footprint?

The most effective changes: 1) Reduce beef and lamb consumption (replace with chicken, fish, or plant proteins), 2) Cut dairy, especially cheese, 3) Eat more plants—legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, 4) Reduce food waste (thrown away food has emissions but no benefit), 5) Avoid air-freighted and heavily processed foods. Even small changes like one meatless day per week can reduce your food footprint by 10-15%.

Climate & Environment

Food Carbon Footprint Calculator

Free food carbon footprint calculator to estimate CO2 emissions from your diet. Calculate the environmental impact of beef, dairy, vegetables, and more based on your eating habits.

Diet Preset

Settings

Time Period

Unit System

Meat & Fish

Beef

servings

Lamb

servings

Pork

servings

Chicken/Poultry

servings

Fish

servings

1 serving = 100g or 3.5 oz (100g (3.5 oz))

Dairy & Eggs

Eggs

servings

Milk

cups

Cheese

servings

Plant-Based Foods

Rice

servings

Bread/Wheat

servings

Vegetables

servings

Fruits

servings

Legumes/Beans

servings

Nuts

servings

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What's the Carbon Footprint of Your Diet?

Food production accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Your food choices have a significant impact on climate change—often more than you realize. Our Food Carbon Footprint Calculator helps you understand the environmental impact of your diet by calculating CO2 emissions from meat, dairy, vegetables, and other foods you consume. Discover which foods contribute most to your carbon footprint and learn how dietary changes can make a real difference.

What is Food Carbon Footprint?

Food carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions produced throughout a food's lifecycle—from farming and processing to transportation and consumption. Different foods have vastly different impacts: beef produces 60x more emissions than peas per gram of protein. Animal products generally have higher footprints due to feed production, methane from digestion, and manure management. Plant-based foods typically have much lower emissions, though rice (methane) and air-freighted produce are exceptions.

Food CO₂ Calculation

Food CO₂ = Σ (Servings × Emission Factor per Serving)

Why Calculate Your Food Carbon Footprint?

Understand Your Impact

See exactly how your food choices affect the environment with concrete numbers.

Identify High-Impact Foods

Discover which foods in your diet contribute most to your carbon footprint.

Make Informed Swaps

Learn which food substitutions can significantly reduce your environmental impact.

Compare Diet Types

See how your diet compares to vegan, vegetarian, and average diets.

How to Use This Calculator

Who Uses This Calculator?

Eco-Conscious Individuals

Track and reduce personal environmental impact through dietary choices.

Nutritionists & Dietitians

Help clients understand the environmental aspect of their food recommendations.

Educators & Students

Learn about food systems and climate change with hands-on calculations.

Meal Planners

Design menus that balance nutrition, taste, and environmental sustainability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Beef has the highest footprint for several reasons: cattle produce methane (a potent greenhouse gas) through digestion, they require massive amounts of land and feed crops, they grow slowly compared to other livestock, and deforestation for cattle ranching releases stored carbon. A single serving of beef (100g) produces about 6.6 kg of CO₂ equivalent—roughly the same as driving 16 miles in a car.

What's the Carbon Footprint of Your Diet?

What is Food Carbon Footprint?

Food CO₂ Calculation

Food CO₂ = Σ (Servings × Emission Factor per Serving)