Salad chain Sweetgreen is adding , an announcement that led to strong reactions online, with customers questioning how that would impact the company鈥檚 carbon neutral plans.
Founded in 2007 and known as a fast-casual spot serving salads and bowls, Sweetgreen says it will be carbon neutral by 2027 鈥� meaning it plans to offset its own emissions by putting in place strategies that also remove carbon from the atmosphere.
But beef production is incredibly resource-intensive and a contributor to climate change. It鈥檚 the globally, emitting massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere, and requires extensive land use.
Sweetgreen鈥檚 rationale for the controversial caramelized, garlic-flavored steak menu addition this week includes using . The chain also says carbon offsets are part of its pledge to combat climate change and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
A Sweetgreen spokesperson referred request for comment to its .
What is regenerative agriculture?
means farming and ranching in a way that not only produces food from a landscape, but also sees that landscape improve ecologically, said Jason Rowntree, co-director of the Michigan State University Center for Regenerative Agriculture.
This means 鈥渕inimizing disturbance, keeping ground covered," Rowntree said, 鈥渋mproving biodiversity below and above ground through adding animals to your cropping systems or enhancing biology below ground.鈥�
Many grocery chains and restaurants are starting to look to regenerative agriculture for animal proteins, grains and fruits and vegetables while meeting climate goals. cited regenerative agriculture as one way it aims to slash its carbon, water use and waste in half by 2030. and have also dabbled in it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all in what you do and how you implement it,鈥� said Allen Williams, a farmer and founder of agriculture consultancy Understanding Ag. 鈥淚t allows for the repair, rebuilding and restoration of our ecosystems 鈥� and that鈥檚 critically important if we want to mitigate climate change.鈥�
Some experts question whether regenerative agriculture can offset all emissions from beef production in particular.
What are carbon offsets?
Companies, including those in dining, also buy . They purchase 鈥渃redits,鈥� as part of a voluntary and unregulated market for projects that claim to absorb carbon dioxide that otherwise would鈥檝e happened.
These offsets are an effort to cancel out one's own carbon dioxide pollution. But it isn't an exact science.
Though companies including Sweetgreen should be applauded for their efforts, 鈥淲e all know that the offsets schemes over the last few years have been really problematic, to say the least,鈥� said Jonathan Foley, executive director of climate nonprofit Project Drawdown.
What can be done instead?
Even if a chain employs productive regenerative agriculture and offsets, experts say its use of plastic, paper or non-renewable energy could negate those practices.
So the priority should be focusing on a restaurant chain's whole carbon footprint, fostering and improving landscapes that are more resilient for food security and improving water cycling, experts say.
鈥淎t the end of the day," Rowntree said, "I think these challenges we鈥檙e going to see with aridity, with heightened intensity of rain events followed by longer periods of drought are probably agriculture鈥檚 biggest challenge moving forward.鈥�
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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: . Reach her at [email protected].
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The Associated Press鈥� climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Alexa St. John, The Associated Press
