Is Keeping Kosher Good for the Environment?: Scientific American

This is sort of a weird article, and it is worthwhile to read to the end and the comments that follow. As several who've commented report, a strong case has been made by many rabbis (over two millenia) that the purpose of Kashrut is partially to reduce the consumption of meat. God only allows humans to eat animals at all in order that we are less likely to vent our innate violent impulses on human beings. If one keeps kosher in the traditional way, one's consumption of meat is greatly limited, since most of us will eat one or two vegetarian or dairy meals a day. A large number of us eat meat only 2-3 times a week, which greatly helps our energy footprint.

On the other hand, purchasing exclusively kosher products often involves a large number of non-local food items, since most of the United States must import their kosher meat and prepared foods from out-of-state (or even Israel). This, however, is an issue faced by all Americans and is not exclusive to the Jewish, kashrut-observant community. In order to balance the fuel usage of importing food, I join many others by eating as much locally produced items as possible--particularly fruits, vegetables, and dairy. When was the last time you checked where your milk came from? Or checked whether your apples were from Washington State, California, or Maine?

Is Keeping Kosher Good for the Environment?: Scientific American

I particularly like the coda on the article, quoting Lise Stern, author of How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws:

Even though keeping kosher is not inherently more or less ecofriendly than a conventional diet, Stern notes that the small but growing kosher organic meat offerings, along with the overall boom in organic foods, make it easier to suffuse keeping kosher with her green values. And, of course, there are benefits that can't be counted by the numbers. "For me, keeping kosher is a spiritual commitment," Stern says. "It imbues the mundane with the sublime."