Explore the data
Food: How to not eat the planet
Below you'll find some charts that are used in the Food: How to not eat the planet of Not the End of the World. Many of these charts are interactive so that you can explore this data over different periods, and for most countries in the world.
First, I'll list some best data sources that I used when writing this chapter, and go back to for the most recent updates. They're some of the core datasets that we use on Our World in Data. This is not an exhaustive list – there are lots of others doing great work in this area. In particular, these are data sources that update over time, so they're not static or specific to a single year. That means you can track progress in the future.
Where to go to explore more:
Explore the Data
Here are some interactive versions of charts used in the book. I've also left some notes on the underlying data source, where you can explore the methodology and related metrics.
If you are using any of this data or the charts, please make sure to credit the underlying source (not me).
Crop yields
The charts below show the yield of cereal crops across the world. This is shown as the change over time, and as a map so you can see differences across the world.
Source: The data source is the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Explore more data on yields for different crops at Our World in Data.
Allocation of cereal crops to food, feed and biofuels
The chart below shows how cereal production is allocated to different end uses: direct human consumption, animal feed, and industrial uses such as biofuels.
You can add and remove countries using the button at the top.
Source: The data source is the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Explore more on this topic at Our World in Data.
Fertilizer use
The chart below shows fertilizer use across the world. You can find fertilizer use per person in our chart here.
You can add and remove countries using the buttons at the top.
Source: The data source is the UN Food and Agriculture Organization via the USDA.
Explore more on this topic at Our World in Data.
Carbon footprint of meat substitutes
The chart below shows the carbon footprint of meat substitute products, compared to meat and plant-based foods.
Source: The data source is a meta-analysis published in Science by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek (2018), and product reports.
I wrote about this in more detail on my blog here.
Environmental impacts of dairy and plant-based milks
The chart below shows the environmental impacts of different milk products.
Source: The data source is a meta-analysis published in Science by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek (2018), and product reports.
I wrote about this in more detail on Our World in Data here.
Environmental impacts of food across the supply chain
The chart below shows the emissions of different products by stage of the supply chain – from land use change and emissions on the farm, to packaging and transport.
Source: The data source is a meta-analysis published in Science by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek (2018).
I wrote about this in more detail on Our World in Data here.