Food production accounts for 26% of greenhouse gas emissions. 70% of our fresh water is used for agriculture. By changing to a flexitarian diet, eating 4 vegetarian meals a week and reducing dairy intake, we can easily reduce our impact by more than 50%

We look at the impact of all ingredients present by looking at their life cycle, from production to consumption. At each stage, we looked at how many greenhouse gases were produced and that is translated into a CO2 equivalent. Other parameters such as water equivalent, nitrogen equivalent and land use equivalent are also calculated. We work with the Agribalyse database, it provides high-quality transparent and detailed data.

No, we do not recommend to cut meat and diary altogether, but plant-based foods in general have a lower ecological footprint. Integrating more plant-based and non-diary ingredients in your recipes will create most impact. By changing to a flexitarian diet, eating 4 vegetarian meals a week and reducing dairy intake, we can easily reduce our impact by more than 50%

Other options are to introduce half-half recipes or reduce the meat portions served.

Our environmental score is based on the Agribalyse database. To make the score accessible and easy to understand we compare 4 measures (carbon emission, land use, water use, fertalizer use) to an average Belgian meal and give the environmental impact accordingly.

The average Belgian meal was derived by:

• Aggregating national food consumption data.

• Weighting it by average meal composition (portion sizes and meal types).

• Using Agribalyse PEF values to calculate the combined environmental impact across the four selected indicators.

This benchmark serves as a relative reference point to which all recipes can be compared.

The CO₂ emissions of desserts can vary significantly when food products with high environmental impacts (e.g. chocolate or coffee) are used. But, the small portion size makes the impact of desserts small. Therefore, desserts are not included in our calculations.

A narrow CO₂ focus can miss critical trade-offs (e.g. almond milk is low CO₂ but high water use).

One of the tool’s most valuable features is Sustainable Magic: a smart function that automatically suggests ways to reduce environmental impact by suggesting ingredient swaps. Of course it keeps your meals delicious, cost-efficient, and nutritious.

Excellent question! Let’s break it down in a few steps.

1. Get insights in your food foodprint (CO₂ equivalent, water equivalent, nitrogen equivalent and land use equivalent) by using a tool like Ecotarian.

2. Look for ways to improve by tweaking your recipes. Small swaps can make big differences. The sustainable magic feature in the Ecotarian tool can help you come up with ideas.

3. Communicate the results in your restaurants by using labels and explainers, so your guests can make informed choices.

4. Measure the environmental footprint by recipe and multiply by the number of meals sold or served. By following the previous steps you can expect a reduction of CO₂ equivalent of 20-30%

Not necessarily. Our ongoing research suggests that shifting menus toward more plant-based and seasonal ingredients can lower food costs by around 5–10%, while also reducing emissions by up to half. Less meat, more seasonal ingredients and less waste usually mean a lighter bill — and a lighter footprint.

Our own studies, along with university research, show that over 80% of guests are open to change if the food is tasty and easy to choose. With clear labels and good communication, sustainable menus don’t drive people away — they often increase loyalty and attract new customers.

Absolutely. In fact, the two often go hand in hand. Many of the most climate-friendly foods — legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts — are also the cornerstones of a healthy diet. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, and plant protein, while being lower in saturated fats.

For food businesses, CSRD focuses on the footprint of what you buy. That means reporting Scope 3 emissions from purchased food, plus policies and progress to reduce them. Ecotarian provides ready-to-use reports aligned with these requirements. Have a look at our Scope 3 emissions page for more information.

Yes. Ecotarian offers lunchtime workshops like our interactive Sustainable Food Guessing Game to spark awareness in a fun way, as well as more in-depth hands-on sessions where your team learns practical swaps and low-waste recipes. For organizations that want to go further, we design custom sustainability journeys that include coaching and training — helping your staff build skills and impact step by step.

It’s a way to add up all greenhouse gases in one number. Each gas (like methane or nitrous oxide) is converted into the amount of CO₂ that would cause the same warming. For example, methane is about 84 times stronger than CO₂, so its emissions are multiplied by 84 to make them comparable.

For food service, it means designing menus that lower environmental impact while maintaining quality and nutrition. That includes using more plant-based proteins, seasonal produce, and less meat and dairy, reducing waste, and sourcing efficiently. These choices cut CO₂e, land, and water use — without compromising taste or guest satisfaction.