Week 4 Challenge: Fast from cheese, chocolate and coffee

We’ve completed two Carbon Fast challenges! This week is another hard one – sacrificing those high-carbon treats we love.

You might be surprised to learn that kg for kg, the total supply chain carbon footprint of cheese, chocolate, and coffee are all higher than pork or chicken. According to a recent study, dark chocolate is second only to beef in total supply chain emissions per unit of weight! [Supply chain emissions include everything from land use change, transport, processing and packaging.]

The Challenge: Fast from one or more of the delicious and satisfying treats that we often take for granted: cheese, chocolate, and coffee. If cutting out coffee completely is not feasible, reduce consumption to one cup a day.

Why? Two reasons: one, as stated above, the carbon footprint of cheese, coffee, and especially chocolate is significant. Secondly, climate change is having a significant impact on the coffee industry. Coffee trees are sensitive to temperature and precipitation changes. By 2050, half of land currently used for growing coffee is predicted to be unsuitable for production. Read more in this article.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for those experiencing famine and food insecurity due to extreme weather events which are exacerbated by climate change; droughts, floods, and hurricanes which damage crops, livestock, and livelihoods. We pray you will continue to provide as you do for the lilies of the field, as you promise in Scripture.

Thank you for your provision and generosity in our lives. We pray for all those working to use sustainable, organic methods of farming. We ask that you to inspire continued solutions and innovation in agroforestry and conservation agriculture and allow that knowledge to spread throughout the Earth so that we can sustainably provide for everyone.
Amen.

The Carbon Fast for Lent was created and is run by Climate Stewards.