Idli and chicken jalfrezi top list of dishes with highest biodiversity impact: Study
idli, chana masala and rajma featured in the top 20 dishes with the highest biodiversity footprint, along with chicken jalfrezi and chicken chaat, according to a new study analysing 151 popular local dishes from around the world. However, researchers found that dishes with beef as the main ingredient such as fraldinha — beef cut dish originating from Brazil — formed the bulk of the top 20. Chili con carne (spicy stew with chili peppers, beef and beans) and beef tartare were other such dishes.
The scientists from National University of Singapore analysed lists of popular dishes taken from CNN.com and TasteAtlas.com to estimate their biodiversity footprints when globally and locally produced.
The researchers found that dishes made from ingredients like beef, legumes and rice encroaching on biodiversity hotspots with already very high agricultural pressure such as India end up having a high biodiversity footprint.
«India was observed to be involved with the production of mostly high biodiversity footprint dishes with biodiversity impacts driven by ingredients (e.g. rice, legumes, chicken) that are not commonly flagged as having a high environmental footprint,» the researchers wrote.
Brazilian beef dishes also had high biodiversity impacts due to the conversion of Amazon rainforest and other diverse ecosystems to pasture, they said.
Vegan and vegetarian dishes were found to have a consistent significantly lower biodiversity footprint compared to dishes containing meat, the researchers said.
On the other hand,
