Breastfeeding: Adding 1 month is equal to planting 300,000 trees

(Dan Tri) - According to estimates, if each mother with a child under 6 months old breastfed her child exclusively for one more month, the environmental impact of this could be equivalent to planting 300,000 more trees.

From August 1 to August 7 every year, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated by countries around the world to encourage, support and promote breastfeeding.

With the theme “Prioritizing Breastfeeding: Building Sustainable Support Systems”, this year’s week highlights the importance of building strong and sustainable support systems for breastfeeding mothers.

Breastfeeding is not only essential for the health of both mother and child, but also contributes to creating a sustainable environment, helping to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.

Breastfeeding not only protects children's health and women's rights, but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Illustration: T. H).

Specifically, if every mother with a child under 6 months old breastfed her child exclusively for an additional month, the environmental impact of this could be equivalent to planting an additional 300,000 trees.

The production and consumption of infant formula for infants under 6 months in low- and middle-income countries could emit up to 7.5 billion kg of CO₂. This is equivalent to a car travelling 30 billion km, almost 200 times the distance from Earth to the Sun.

At the same time, this also consumes up to 2.6 billion cubic meters of water, equivalent to more than one million Olympic swimming pools.

In low- and middle-income countries alone, the production and use of infant formula for infants under six months of age generates greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from two million cars or the emissions absorbed by 318 million trees in a year.

In response to Breastfeeding Week, the Ministry of Health requests that the Departments of Health of provinces and cities actively implement the National Target Programs and the Nutrition Care Program for the First 1,000 Days of Life to ensure support for breastfeeding for all mothers.

Local health facilities need to maintain counseling activities for pregnant women and postpartum mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding; instruct breastfeeding mothers on how to breastfeed properly, exclusively for the first 6 months, continue breastfeeding up to 24 months, and how to maintain breast milk supply...

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/nuoi-con-bang-sua-me-them-1-thang-bang-trong-300000-cay-xanh-20250710091143558.htm