The climate footprint of our Müesli

Food accounts for 1/3 of all greenhouse gases

You might be wondering why it’s so important to know about CO₂ emissions. It’s simple. Globally, food production is responsible for a third of all greenhouse gases – more than the entire transport sector (i.e. cars, planes and ships) combined.

Things are no better in Switzerland either, where nutrition accounts for 21% of the burden on the climate. This shows that everyone can make an active contribution to climate protection by consciously choosing what food they eat.

To do this, however, we need to know which foods are climate-friendly – and which ones should be avoided.

How is a climate footprint calculated?

The carbon footprint of a foodstuff is expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e), which show how much greenhouse gas, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, is released during production.

Our climate calculator records the climate footprint of a familia product, taking into account all the emissions from the production of its ingredients to the finished product. After all, a climate footprint is only meaningful when it encompasses the entire supply chain. Our calculations follow the internationally recognised standard for environmental assessments according to ISO 14040/44.

Production of ingredients
This involves the cultivation and processing of all the ingredients in Müesli. The biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions is agricultural cultivation, for example through the use of tractors and fertilisers. Emissions are also generated during subsequent processing, such as drying fruit or rolling grain.

Transport and storage of ingredients
Emissions are caused by the energy consumed by transporting, storing and delivering the processed ingredients to Sachseln.

Production
We need electricity and fuel to bake, roast and mix our Müesli in Sachseln – and the emissions generated during production are measured.

Packaging
Packaging keeps its valuable contents safe and protected. The climate calculator evaluates the emissions from primary, secondary and tertiary packaging – i.e. from the Müesli packaging, the outer packaging and the cardboard boxes used for transport. Emissions from the manufacture of the packaging itself through to its disposal are taken into account.

What is the climate footprint of Müesli?

You can find the climate footprint of familia Müesli in the online shop. Go to the product specifications for each Müesli and then look under ‘Ingredients’.