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 …

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?

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 …