In the UK, food production and distribution account for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. The 18% is split fairly evenly between "on-the-farm emissions" (from farming activities) and "beyond-the-farm emissions" (from transportation and processing activities, etc.).

While we've all gotten used to carbon dioxide being the bad boy on the global warming block, agriculture's greenhouse-gas contributions include healthy shares of methane and nitrous oxide, both of which are more potent than CO2.

Finally, while production and transport of chemical fertilizers and pesticides lead directly to creation of greenhouse gases, use of these chemicals also does so indirectly by reducing farm soil's capacity to store carbon.

So, what to do? Go organic! United Kingdom's Environment Secretary notes that, in many cases, organic agriculture produces fewer greenhouse gases than conventional equivalents. There's a catch, though. Organic food transported long distances is NOT helpful. So, go organic AND local. — Grinning Planet

macs2005

Quoting from [macs2005]:


Hi macs2005, nice info. However organic food is more than double non-organic food here. For example, we pay USD1.30 for 18 pack non-organic eggs, whereas organic eggs cost USD3.70 for the same pack.

We eat a lot of seafood, but also worry about mercury. So what to eat?

Moolan

Replying to [Moolan99]: Dear Mac/Moolan,
Methane, a green house gas is produced by irrigation and power generation Dams too, more in areas near equator, like India.
So, it is Water, (Oh dear) that also is turning culprit(Sigh!)
Sixer