I’m willing to bet you $5.50 you did not know that livestock produces some of the most dangerous greenhouse gases—methane and nitrous oxide—through their digestive systems and their manure.

And did you also know that these gases are far more powerful than the more commonly talked-about carbon dioxide?

And did you also know that livestock is responsible for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions?

One more…livestock farming also uses huge amounts of water—nearly 8 percent of global human water use goes to grow food for cattle.

And by now, your done with my fun facts for today.

Can I just stop here & acknowledge that anything that has to do with helping solve global issues can feel terribly overwhelming?  I get it, I do because yeah, sometimes I turn away.  Sometimes, I simply cannot bear to hear about another starving baby girl.  But I’m asking you to hang in there with me and read on because there actually are small, everyday things you & I can do to make sure that 1 in every 7 people don’t go to bed hungry each night even though our planet produces enough food for all 7 billion of us mugs.  To disengage and look away repeatedly is the biggest sin of those living in safety and abundance.

To address the problem of global hunger Oxfam America is hosting World Food Day on October 16 to help foster conversations using the GROW method to address where your food comes from, who cultivates it, and how you can take personal actions that will make the food system more just and sustainable.

Here’s a few smallish steps you can take to seek justice through food:

1. Sign up to host a World Food Day dinner discussion. Oxfam has tons of free materials including a discussion guide, placemats, and recipe ideas from acclaimed chefs. Everything can be found at Oxfam America World Food Day.

2.  Cook meals from the GROW Method Pinterest Cookbook: GROW Method Pinterest Cookbook

Recipe & Image Credit

3.  Take advantage of FREE resources to help you cook & eat more sustainably like the GROW Method Facebook App.

4.  Buy fair trade as often as possible…coffee, and especially chocolate because of all the little hands that are literally slaving away to provide it for us.

5.  Eat foods in season that are grown locally and as close to you as possible.

6.  Eat less meat.  Try 2-4 times a week instead of every. single. meal.

7.  Try cooking with as little water as possible.

8.  Buy these books {affiliate links} – Simply in Season: Recipes that Celebrate Fresh, Local Foods & More-With-Less: How to Eat Better & Consume Less of the World’s Limited Resources.

I was introduced to these books 4 years ago and they have changed the thinking of this Detroit-bred, meat-eating city girl…

I’m not perfect at all in doing these things.  Sometimes I make great strides and sometimes I buy a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger with not one, but two beef patties.  Yet, in the last couple of years our family has dramatically increased our eating of seasonal fresh fruit & vegetables.  What I keep doing though is trying to do my part.  Little by little.

So.  No pressure, just start with something.  Start with one thing and know that every little bit actually helps despite how it feels all swallowed up in the grand global crisis. Believe me, it’s NOT swallowed up, it just feels that way. So, go. Do.

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Be honest, have you ever thought about this type of stuff before?  What kind of small changes seem reasonable for your family to make?  Any things you’ve done in the past that have worked really well for your fam?

Most importantly, do you like the title of this post? =)

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