Articles

Humanity's quest for food has been the largest driver of land-use change. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), croplands and pastures now occupy roughly half of the world's vegetated land. Between 1962 and 2010, nearly 500 million hectares of forests and woody savannas were cleared globally for agriculture, an area almost two-thirds the size of Australia.[1] In addition, approximately 50% of the world's wetlands have been drained for agricultural purposes. Land-u

Oxford University’s LEAP project (Scarborough et al., 2023) analysed dietary data from more than 55,000 people and linked it with environmental data from over 38,000 farms across 119 countries. Compared with high meat consumers (defined as those eating more than 100g of meat per day), individuals following a vegan diet generated substantially lower environmental impacts, including: 75% lower greenhouse gas emissions 75% lower land use 54% lower water use 73% lower eutrophicat

A major umbrella review of two decades of research1 found that, compared with omnivorous diets, vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with healthier cholesterol and blood glucose levels, lower body weight, reduced inflammation, and a lower risk of both cardiovascular disease and cancer. A separate meta-analysis2 quantified this benefit, reporting an 8% lower overall cancer incidence among vegetarians and a 15% lower incidence among vegans. Reflecting a growing body of sci

Most of us know that turning off the tap helps save water. But what many people don't realise is that the biggest share of our water footprint isn't found in the bathroom or kitchen sink—it's on our plates. Food accounts for the largest proportion of our Water Footprint, an indicator that measures both our direct and indirect water use. In fact, around 86% of freshwater consumption is linked to the production of agricultural and livestock products3. Every fruit, vegetable, gr

Did you know that food consumption accounts for nearly one-fifth of Hong Kong people's ecological footprint? Research shows that dietary habits and food waste are among the largest contributors to this environmental impact1. Approximately 90% of Hong Kong's food supply is imported2. In this article, we explore why choosing food grown closer to home is more than just a shopping decision—it is a meaningful lifestyle choice that benefits personal health, local farmers, and the e