Comparing apples & pears – the Banana Index

A consistent issue around net zero is the difficulty of comparing different actions and their impact, not only on carbon but also as to how they perform in practice - is planting productive agricultural land a with trees a good thing?  It may become a carbon sink but what about food production?  

Measures which compare outcomes are welcomed, and The Economist has launched its Banana Index, comparing food emissions by weight, protein and calories, using the banana as an index point.  

This is useful and worth exploring (once you get though the paywall).  Look at how almond butter delivers as a provider of protein and calories vs its emissions.  Averaging around the figures for each foodtype is an issue, but the more reputable methods of comparison we have, the better.     

Some foods that out-emit bananas on one metric put them to shame on another.

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/04/11/a-different-way-to-measure-the-climate-impact-of-food