The deforestation-free shopping list – WWF Blog

Germany eats and the Amazon disappears. Sounds strange, but it is true. But there is another way. It tastes much better with a clear conscience. And shopping for it is a lot more fun too. Here are a few tips on how to keep the rainforest out of your shopping cart.

Is it possible without meat?

Meat is one of the worst contributors to the climate crisis. Everyone should have noticed this by now. But: Our meat consumption is also responsible for the fact that eight million hectares of forest have disappeared worldwide for soy cultivation since 2001. Because – you guessed it – this soy ends up in the feeding troughs of cattle, pigs and poultry. That's why you cook vegetarian more often – it tastes at least as good, see the recipes here. And if meat substitute products are to be used, they are becoming more and more common and tastier. Have you ever tried jackfruit? Crazy, it can taste like the best beef goulash. And by the way, children like the mortadella made from pea protein very much. At least in my opinion.

Less finished products

In general, the rule of thumb applies: The more often a product has been processed, the more unsavory things can be hidden in it. For example, uncertified palm oil. So there is almost certainly deforestation in the frozen pizza, and in the cookies too. Here too, organic is better. And best of all: do it yourself.

Significantly less dairy products

Shopping vegetarian is great. Vegan would of course be even better. Because despite the persistent prejudice, it is not the vegans who are eating up the rainforest. Only a fraction of the world's soy ends up in tofu or soy milk. Two percent, to be exact.

And if you want it to be the right kind of yogurt instead of soy yogurt, then:

Of course organic is better

Yes, of course that is the case. Whether organic tastes better or is healthier depends. Above all, organic means a much more sustainable cultivation method. Or other, better rules for animal feeding. Without soy, for example. Or just soy, which definitely only comes from Europe. And therefore without a rainforest.

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Radically regional

There are said to be particularly conscious people who don't even use pepper because it comes from where the pepper grows. So far away. But it doesn't always have to be exotic or Mediterranean. Sure, chocolate makes you happy. And for many people, life makes no sense without coffee. And at the same time, 80 percent of the original rainforest in Ivory Coast has already been destroyed for cocoa plantations.

Maybe sea buckthorn for dessert instead? The lemon of the north? With local honey? Have you ever tried salsify or turnips? And the lamb's lettuce from next door definitely tastes better than the lettuce that has been driven hundreds of kilometers by truck.

Plastic bag? Paper bag? No bag!

Have you shopped with a clear conscience and obediently following our tips? Wonderful. Anyone who has their backpack with them now is on the safe side. The others have a problem. The environmental impact of paper bags is just as bad as that of plastic. Read this!

And you really have to reuse the reusable bags very often until their ecological balance is green. Most of the time they are at home in ever larger mountains. It helped me to always put a plastic bag under the bike saddle. Or in God's name, put a basket in the car. In any case, paper bags are not the solution. Yes, forests fall for paper bags.

And of course, the deforestation-free shopping list itself can be written on recycled paper. So that no tree has to fall for this piece of paper.

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