Potatoes and carrots are the two vegetables frequently used as side dishes or as part of other meals prepared for Christmas dinner. However, current research indicates that these vegetables harm our greenhouse gas emissions.
The time-honored tradition of having a Christmas meal is still observed in many households. Yet, the Christmas meal that each family prepares and serves can differ, and the side dishes may vary even if the main dish remains the same.
Meanwhile, the vegetables remain a relatively constant component. When it comes to vegetables, potatoes and carrots are some of the most commonly served for Christmas supper, including green beans and peas. Moreover, it is possible to prepare vegetables in various ways, meaning there is bound to be a dish that every person will enjoy eating.
Almost three-quarters, or 78% of 2,000 adults who spend the festive season will eat a typical Christmas dinner on December 25. Among them, 88% will serve potatoes, and 81% will have carrots on the dinner table. Nevertheless, when considered separately, these two vegetables contribute to nearly one-fifth or 18% of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) associated with preparing a holiday meal.
Peas is another popular vegetable that ranks highly in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Accordingly, it is consumed by 43% of British people on the day of the Christmas celebration, and they are responsible for 15% of the emissions produced by the dinner.
In contrast, parsnips and sprouts contribute 14% and 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Christmas dinners while being consumed by 64% and 75% of diners. According to the research, broccoli 41%, cauliflower 36%, and cabbage 21% are frequently desired vegetables for a particular day.
However, kale was at the bottom of the list since only 3% of those who participated in the survey consumed it. Based on the projections made by scientific modeling of Vodafone in the United Kingdom, the production of the veggies we eat on Christmas Day produces around 14,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually. A
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Using technologies enabled by 5G, farmers might achieve enormous efficiency gains, lowering the carbon emissions of our Christmas vegetables by as much as twenty percent. It would reportedly be similar to the amount of power required to power the Christmas tree lights in seven and a half million houses in the United Kingdom on Christmas Day.2.
These findings resulted from a survey of 2,000 adults that Vodafone carried out by WPI Economics and modeled by Development Economics. The poll aimed to determine which veggies people will consume during their Christmas dinner.
Furthermore, the study revealed that the integration of vehicle-to-everything technology, which improves the efficiency of transporting food to retailers; Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, which diminish food waste on farms; and 5G-enabled accuracy technology, utilized for the application of seeds, pesticides, and fertilizer, could potentially result in an approximate overall reduction of 3,302 metric tons of greenhouse gas generated by the research.
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