Generally, the environmental performance of coconut milk is good – coconut trees use small amounts of water and absorb carbon dioxide. Please support us! We look into the sustainability of non-dairy plant milks, including almond, coconut, hemp, rice and soya; nutrition, packaging and who produces them. Diets that rely heavily on foods that come from other parts of the world contribute enormously to these emissions. Which is Better For the Environment: Coconut Milk or Almond Milk? Environmentally, coconut milk is a pretty good choice — coconut farming has a fairly low impact on the land, and water use is relatively low. When it comes to environmental impact, soy milk and oat milk are the winners in this comparison. Wondering why you’re seeing coconut milk become more popular in cafes and stores? And it’s no wonder that people all over are suddenly going coo-coo for coconuts; the stuff is positively amazing! Given how far removed the Western consumer is from the growth and production line of the coconut, some may choose to abstain from the crop’s use altogether. This motivates farmers to plant more and more coconut trees to maintain a constantly stream of product. 10 Plant-Based Collagen Boosting Supplements for Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails! This rule holds true for everything you consume, coconut products included. Environmental impact of different milks: “The popularity of vegan foods continues to grow, with January seen as a traditional time to consider giving them a try. If you think soy is a viable alternative to traditional milk in your diet, consider purchasing organic brands that are produced only in the U.S. With the amount of protein per glass matching cow’s milk, pea protein milk is a healthy alternative to dairy. While natives to the tropics have truly tapped into the many uses of the coconut as well as the trees they grow on, Westerners have demands for just a few of the secondary products the crop can produce. The taste and texture of rice milk makes it a good milk replacement. Buying coconut products that are certified organic helps ensure that the local ecology and people weren’t put at risk from chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The environmental impact of cheese is pretty heavy. “You don’t have to deforest trees to produce the milk,” Bergen said. Via Sierra Club, Grist, Huffington Post and NPR, Images via Adrienne Leonard, Nathan Dumlao, Vegan Feast Catering, Raw Pixel, Nikolai Chernichenko and Shutterstock. There are a lot of health benefits associated with hemp milk. Soy is a plant product, so sugar is added to make it sweeter (there are unsweetened options on the market). Best for: Coconut milk is rich in fats (the good kind) and antibacterial properties And they can become an environmental nuisance when they don’t reach recycling facilities that can properly process the discarded materials. A report highlighting the harmful environmental impact of coconut oil production by a researcher with links to the palm oil industry has sparked a heated d The good news is that in general, the environmental impact of coconut oil is very low.Growing coconuts doesn’t require pesticides or herbicides, and coconuts are harvested by hand, instead of by a giant tractor. Generally, the environmental performance of coconut milk is good – coconut trees use small amounts of water and absorb carbon dioxide. Coconut water is touted by many as an ideal aid in hydration. Almonds feature a plethora of health benefits, including good fats, flavonoids and protein. Drying coconut meat results in a product called “copra” which is then pressed to extract coconut oil. Peas can often grow without irrigation and are easily rotated by farmers, naturally fixing nitrogen in soil and reducing the need for artificial fertilizers. Non-dairy milk alternatives have soared in popularity in recent years, so much so that it's almost impossible to find a cafe that doesn't at least offer soya or oat milks, if not almond, hemp, coconut, cashew, rice, tiger nut, or any other nut or seed for that matter. Both use the least water of all milk alternatives, with only slightly higher emissions than almond milk. There’s loads of evidence that dairy is bad for the environment. Coconut milk is low in nutritional value, but it is low calorie. Milk alternatives, such as oat, soy, almond or coconut, are one area of interest, with sales rising in the UK. Related: Vegan diets deliver more environmental benefits than sustainable dairy or meat. So, what is the environmental impact of the growing coconut oil craze? Globally, the sector emits 4 percent of all human-caused emissions, mostly in the form of methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas. As the coconut tree ages, it becomes less productive. As coconut milk is categorized as tree nut, experts suggest that people suffering from allergies have to avoid the consumption of coconut milk. “It’s becoming increasingly important to examine food’s environmental impact per unit of nutritional value, rather than simply per pound or kilogram,” says … However, it does require the most water to produce of the vegan milks. Best medium-impact option: Coconut milk Poore’s team didn’t look at coconut milk, so there’s limited data available specifically quantifying its environmental impact. Coconut and palm oil industries at loggerheads over environmental impact By Mei Mei Chu and Bernadette Christina 8/27/2020 Experts: Report shows Taylor's boyfriend shot officer Environmental journalism powered by you. The Takeaway. 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