Supporting Green Football Weekend - low carbon food

Tottenham Hotspur is proud to be supporting Green Football Weekend, a campaign to raise awareness of how individual action can take the fight to climate change.

In the lead up to Green Football Weekend (February 2-5), the Club will be highlighting steps fans can take to reduce their own carbon footprint in a number of areas, with the help of expert environmental journalist, Anna Turns.

In this segment, Anna discusses how food can impact our carbon footprint, and what measures we can take to reduce it…

What the Club does

• Plant-based food options are available at the Stadium, training facilities and all club properties where food is served. All menus across the matchday food outlets, as well as The M on non-match days, include vegetarian and vegan options.
• All food produce, where possible, is locally and sustainably sourced. Working with partners to continue to identify and improve further sustainably-sourced food options to cater for various dietary requirements and plant based food options.
• Waste from our stadium’s microbrewery is used to feed the pigs at Wicks Manor Farm, less than 50 miles away, which in turn is then used in our pork product in the stadium.
• A Kitchen Garden at the Training Centre grows organic fruit and veg served in the players’ restaurant.

Anna’s tips

“Food production is responsible for an astonishing quarter (26%) of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, from supply chain logistics to crop production, land use and livestock farming. Beef, lamb, farmed prawns and cheese have the highest greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chains, while emissions from plants such as nuts, citrus fruits, apples and root veg are tiny by comparison.

“One of the most powerful ways individuals can directly influence their carbon footprint is through diet. Even if that means just making one different food choice on match day, delicious regular switches that you enjoy will be the most sustainable ones.

“Consider how something was processed, where it came from, who grew it, how it was transported and whether it is even in season. As shoppers, we all have agency - we can vote with our pound and with our fork for a more sustainable food system by choosing to eat food with more provenance.

“Remember to take stock of what’s in your fridge or larder before you head to the shops, and try not to get tempted by those end-of-aisle special offers that result in us taking home more than you actually need.”

Top tips

1. POWER UP WITH PLANTS - introduce more colour into your cooking and make plants the centrepiece of your plate. Aim to eat about 30 types of plants every week - that includes nuts, spices, wholegrains, legumes, fruit and vegetables.
2. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT - plan your meals before you shop, batch cook and freeze leftovers for another day, use the food waste app OLIO to share ingredients you no longer need with people who live nearby.
3. AVOID THE GREENWASH - look for B Corp, Fair Trade and Organic certifications that indicate a brand takes social and environmental issues seriously. 

Visit https://www.greenfootballweekend.com/ to take an individual action or pledge against climate change.