carbon footprints

We are informed that of late companies are going that extra length to publish their 'carbon footprint' on their websites. They are contemplating doing so on the product packs, but how far it will make any sense to the consumer is a moot point. Say carbon footprint is 84, the consumer is left wondering what is that supposed to mean to him. Is the companys good in its carbon footprint practise or not and where does that compare with similar products, and dissimilar products and offerings.

But then some information was forthcoming in the papers about Pepsico and the information about carbon footprint on its product orange juice under the brand Tropicana. It was surprising that the company contributed significantly to green house emissions during the production process which involves cultivation and processing, rather than during packaging and distribution. It also came as a revelation to the company it is said. Fertiliser is the bad guy during cultivation of oranges and during processing natural gas contributes significantly to green house emissions. Of course transportation, distribution and packaging contribute but less than that during production.
We are also given absolute figures if that will make it easier to evaluate;

One gallon of tropicana orange juice = 1.7 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent damage done to the environment.

So much for feeling all nice and good drinking that glass of juice during breakfast.
Do we need such heavy duty fertilisers is an obvious question. Some decades back fertilisers were the panacea of declining and low productivity of Indian agriculture and we could not have enough of potent fertilisers. They no doubt increased yield at significant cost to the environment.Organic farming is gaining ground and just like alternate sources of energy will require some more time before it can be applied on a mass scale.

Processing is the next culprit. Without the aid of food processing farmers dont get enough value for their produce, hence food processing is touted as the best additional revenue stream for agricultural chain.

Then there is the question of distribution. Why should we have the same Tropicana juice produced in Punjab be available throughout India and elsewhere? Decentralised production is one answer but then maintaining quality and viability compete for attention.It is the much travelling populace that looks for known brands for quality even in remote areas. Would we touch an unbranded orange colour juice in Ambasamudram,But immediately grab a tropicana juice in the same shop. This adds to the distribution 'carbon footprint' cost. It should be possible to produce quality juice at decentralised locations and there is opportunity here.

Packaging is one aspect which I have always been perceiving as contributing to environment cost. Everyday we dispose some cartons or the other and we do not consume ready to eat foods or takeaways which typically consume a lot of packing materials. But then we buy packaged juices and milk satchets and all provisions come in plastic containers. They are branded .Do we go back to newspaper wrapped conical packaging, where the thread and the newspaper gets recycled and nothing adds to the environment cost. But then quality and cleanliness of the food grains is not ensured that is the main reason for plonking for the branded packaging.

A clean environment means consumers should be able to take time and effort. But society has inexorably changed and is it possible to go back to a lifestyle where the village consumed what it produced ; no storage or limited storage of food grains; eating the same ragi for 12 months of the year; spending unlimited time in cleaning and pounding the grains; no refrigerators, every meal is cooked fresh with whatever available.

It is romantic but not viable.I think we need to work around the exisiting system. Each of us starting with the responsibility to contribute to easing the pressure on carbon footprint.We plan to shift to fresh fruit juice available across the colony in favour of Tropicana and Real fruit juices. We take it from there.One definite step at a time.