Indigeno restaurant wants you to make peace with the Climate

Grilled meat at Indigeno restaurant is served in the recommended portions that should be our weekly intake in order to do our part in fighting climate change: in fact, with 39g of beef and 125g of all the other types of meat, we already have half of our weekly ration, a truly virtuous habit (which also leaves us open to having an extra bite...).
This is in fact 55% less than what we consume today and it shows just how much we should reduce in terms of global emissions to halt and reverse climate change, between now and 2030, according to the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I am finally aware of what I can do and bask in making the right choice!

An overview of climate change

In 1983, the United Nations set up the first World Commission on Environment and Development, headed by Harlem Bruntland. This led to the renowned report in 1987 entitled “Our common future” which defined the very concept of “Sustainable Development” and went on to organising the first Conference on Environment and Development in 1989. Shortly after, the famous 1992 convention of Rio de Janeiro was drawn up, in which 172 states adopted specific agreements to define and fight climate change and the decline of biodiversity, in observance of principles of economic and social development. Since then, under the coordination of the UN, great amounts of resources have been invested to calculate the impact that human activities on Earth have on the climate.

Thanks to this awareness, today we are able to define concrete objectives of sustainable development, currently set forth in the 2030 Agenda and, at the same time, regarding many aspects of daily life, each single member of our global community is able to be aware of his or her proactive role in this plan. Climate change is in fact caused by climate-altering gas emissions (Greenhouse gases, translated into Co2 equivalent, i.e. carbon dioxide), that are released through certain actions: typically by burning energy or materials (wood, plastic…), which contain carbon in its solid state, releasing it into the atmosphere in the form of gas through combustion (due to the operation of combustion engines or waste disposal).

Other relevant forms of emissions are linked to the changed use of the land (farming wild land causes a transfer of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere from its surface), in addition to the fermentation of manure of farms and lastly from forest fires. Since the end of the 1800s onwards, due to the effect of industrialisation and the demographic growth that ensued, the amount of consumption grew exponentially and the rate at which we burn energy and material and at which we farm the planet, is such that we can no longer maintain a balance between what we release and what is naturally reabsorbed by the earth (i.e. the trees that capture carbon, or fossil fuel fields and unfarmed land).

The current levels of Co2 in the atmosphere are higher than 410ppm in comparison to the approximately 250ppm measured in pre-industrial times. It is almost double and it is estimated that our forests appeared over the evolution of the planet, which was once unliveable for man, at levels around 700ppm in the atmosphere about 385 million years ago, to provide a sense of how huge the problem that came about in just one and a half centuries is.

Meat consumption and reducing emissions

The real consumption rate of meat in Italy (net of the “apparent” rate, i.e. what actually ends up in our plates), was, between 2010-2015, 104g per day, of which 24.8g beef, 44.2g pork and 35g other meats, mainly white “Consumo reale di cane e di pesce in Italia” (The real consumption of meat and fish in Italy), Prof. Vincenzo Russo of the University of Bologna with Anna De Angelis and Pier Paolo Danieli appointed by the Association for Science and Animal Production). .

If we also consider the non-edible parts of meat production, thereby obtaining the quantity of animal mass produced to achieve the aforementioned amounts of food on our plates, indeed necessary for measuring the impact of production, this amounts to 237g per day (Source FAO, Ismea). These numbers are in line with the average European apparent consumption, which is around 1.5kg according to declarations of the European Commission. Producing this meat generates a certain impact in terms of greenhouse gases and as much as we hope that farms will improve their production processes, possibly with the use of renewable energy or by shortening the distribution chain, the fact remains that today each consumer is able to, thanks to the great amount of information available, choose a form of consumption that contributes to this degenerative phenomenon.

This does not mean no longer, consuming nor despairing at what is happening, rather, enjoying a dish, be it meat, and even beef (the most impactful in terms of emissions, Ed.) in the right way, to make the very most of it!

The indigenous inhabitant of planet earth, that we hope to represent at our restaurant, aware, proactive and happy to do his/her part for a better world, must remember that the climate is not the only aspect of sustainability at the table, though it is prevalent. There are indeed 17 macro objectives set forth by the United Nations as the base of the global agenda for sustainable development (https://sdgs.un.org/goals), to have an understanding of the complexity. We therefore wish to underline how, in terms of our agricultural chains, we have placed special attention on protecting biodiversity and water resources, which are among the main challenges of the sector from an environmental point of view, without compromising on good work policies and support to communities that we cohabitate with. For more information on the commitments of our benefit company, go to the dedicated section of the website.

Salcheto Indigeno

Via di Villa Bianca, 15
53045 Montepulciano (SI) – Italy

Info e prenotazioni:
+39 0578 799031