Breastfeeding has always been known to benefit both the infant and mother. However, experts say that an aspect of this practice may contribute benefits to the environment as well. A team of scientists from the Imperial College of London has calculated the harm infant formula production and consumption have caused the environment. They have compared it to the pollution that 77,000 cars could produce.
They found out that the industry produces a significant amount of greenhouse gases, generates waste, and depletes sources of electricity and water. Health officials encourage mothers to breastfeed their young exclusively for the first six months primarily because it is the source of all the nutrients the baby needs. Breastmilk also serves as the protection of babies from diseases too.
Britain has been identified as one of the countries with the lowest breastfeeding rates, with only 34% of its newborn babies receiving breast milk at this time. The team calculated that if mothers would breastfeed their infants for the first six months, every baby can save the world from 95 to 153kg worth of carbon dioxide. If only all the mothers in the United Kingdom would follow the guidelines set by health officials, they could save the world from pollution produced by about 77,000 cars.
The study also pointed out that the production of cows milk comes with a large water footprint. They equated one kilogram of powdered cow's milk to a loss of about 4,700 liters of water. In addition to the amount of water it uses, infant formula also has to be heated to at least 70 degrees Celsius during production. This amount of energy can be compared to charging 200 million smartphones in a year.
The authors emphasized that the production of infant and toddler formula only exacerbates the damage in the environment. This should be a matter of global concern. "People need to see how breastfeeding can cut down all these energy and water waste and reduce carbon footprint too," authors wrote.
Other contributing factors include plastic waste, transportation at multiple stages before they reach the end user, marketing, as well as the sale of breastmilk substitutes. More than the nutritional value attached to breastfeeding, it is really the reduction of all these pollution add-ons that make breastfeeding an excellent choice.
Breastfeeding completes the puzzle needed to save the environment. And yet, at a global scale, only 41% of all the babies born are exclusively breastfed. The call to encourage breastfeeding has reached the government.
In fact, the academics called for mothers to continue breastfeeding, and those who do will receive financial rewards.
