Eating our way to a healthy planet

October 13th 2014

Lisa Bounoure

Lisa Bounoure

EaternityAt a time when European eating habits are responsible for around 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions related to consumption1, eating to reduce our impact is a simple yet powerful solution. In a country such as Switzerland, eating three climate-friendly meals per week can halve the CO2 emitted each year2. This accounts for one tonne of CO2 savings per person each year: the absorption capacity of 50 million trees. There is no solution more effective than this.

I believe in a future where a healthy environment will help us live healthy lives. With this conviction, I decided a year ago to move away from human biology and enter the world of social impact start-ups – social entrepreneurships that tackle social and environmental problems. I met the founders of Eaternity – both entrepreneurs at heart and food lovers – and touched by their passion and vision, I joined the Eaternity-team.

Eaternity started its journey in 2009 with the aim to provide everyone with access to sustainable and healthy food – including in restaurants.

With the latest results in life-cycle-assessments on food productions as our starting point, Eaternity assembled one of the biggest CO2 data-bases of food items available in Switzerland. We integrated it into a software application. The application dynamically links the scientific information on CO2 and nutrition with the daily changing parameters in the supply chain of restaurants. Using our software, restaurants can control their greenhouse gas emissions and nutritional properties of the meal they serve.

Convincing a caterer to offer climate-friendly meals in its restaurants is not an easy task. Sadly, protecting the environment is not seen as a profitable action in the food industry. We’ve worked hard to change minds and this year we finally got our first big success: we’ve  partnered with a large caterer in Switzerland! They now provide their customers with delicious, sustainable, healthy and affordable meals every day.

Over the last year, Eaternity has received several awards, given a TEDx Talk and has grown to a seven members-team. We’re continuing our journey in Switzerland and moving towards the rest of Europe with the same mission of making every cook a climate-hero.

Watch our TEDx Talk:  https://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Eating-is-an-environmental-actM

 

Lisa Bounoure

Eaternity Health and Nutrition Specialist

After her PhD in human biology, Lisa Bounoure joined Eaternity as a health and nutrition specialist. Lisa brings knowledge from the scientific literature to promote the offer of high health-potential and sustainable foods in the restaurant industry.

1. Tukker, A., & Jansen, B. (2006). Environmental impacts of products: A detailed review of studies. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 10(3), 159–182.

2. Jungbluth, N., Itten, R., & Stucki, M. Umweltbelastungen des privaten Konsums und Reduktionspotenziale. Uster, CH: ESU-services Ltd. im Auftrag des BAFU (2012).

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