There are debates about monetary value of nature but… does nature have other values than the mere monetary one? What are they and why it is important to focus also on the non-monetary values of nature?
Category Archives: Climate Policy
Food Sustainability: Innovations in Transition
The transition to sustainable and climate-wise food production requires the development and large-scale introduction of new cultivation methods, innovative primary production processes, circular economy solutions, strong nutrition, and food technology competence. Finland has the opportunity to take a leading role in the transition towards a sustainable global food system, and at the same time, benefit …
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Climate-friendly meat: A nuanced approach to climate-savvy beef consumption
The discussion on the sustainability of meat is not new here. The HELSUS blog has reviewed the university community’s general satisfaction regarding UniCafe’s decision to remove beef from the lunch menu due to climate concerns. The restaurant frames its decision as part of a rising trend in which plant-based diets are identified as a simple way to move towards sustainability. While grass-fed beef is said to provide valuable ecosystem services, even this production is climatically damaging. But is this the whole picture?
Distorted imaginaries in a world of crisis
“Narratives form our reality. We become their vessels. Stories find, capture, and hold us. Our lives are shaped by the stories we hear as children, some fade as we grow older, others are reinforced by our families, churches, and schools. From stories we absorb our goals in life, our morals, and our patterns of behaviour.” …
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Saying goodbye to meat and milk? – Towards sustainable utilization of animals in land management
There has been a lot of heated debate about the production and consumption of meat, milk and other animal-derived products. The arguments are conflicting: promoting vegetarianism to save the planet versus the crucial role of cattle in Finnish agriculture, taking beef off the menu in the UniCafe versus “cow-is-yes“-tags by producers, fate of forlorn calves …