How food fits into sustainability

Although it may be difficult to understand how the food you choose to buy and consume plays a part in sustainability, every purchase affects the environment.  Do not be just a sustainable thinker - be a sustainable consumer as well.  The next time you go to the grocery store, before you buy anything, ask yourself the following questions:

• Where has this item come from?
• Who made this product, and how?
• For how long will I use this item, and can I recycle it?
• How many miles has this item traveled before reaching me?
• Is this product fresh?

These questions will help you decide whether or not to purchase the item.  Read on to learn how your answers to these questions relate to sustainability.

Organic

The word "organic" suggests natural, and organic food is grown with less chemicals.  Organic farmers and producers are limited to the use of 7 natural pesticides, whereas commercial farmers use up to 450 pesticides.  These chemicals are bad for your health, and they damage the soil and wildlife.  Purchasing organic products is beneficial both to you and to the earth.  One major organic grocery store in the United States is Whole Foods Market.  You can also use this Organic Foods Store Locater in order to find local organic food suppliers.

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Seasonal

Seasonal foods are the vegetables and fruits that are available during certain seasons.  If you can, purchase the vegetables and fruits that are available in the season during which you are buying.  Seasonal fruits are fresh and taste better, and they are also good for the environment.  When you purchase vegetables and fruits that are not in season in this country (the United States), you are purchasing food that has been imported from various places around the world, which requires fuel and therefore creates greenhouse gases.
Below is a table with the vegetables and fruits of each season:

Season	Vegetables in seasons	Fruits in Season
Winter	beets, cabbages, carrots, celery, chicory, endive, greens, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, sprouts, turnips	pears, rhubarb
Spring	cabbages, cauliflowers, chicory, greens, leeks, lettuce, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, watercress	rhubarb
Summer	artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, chard, cucumbers, fennel, garlic, green beans, lettuce, new potatoes, peas, radishes, rocket, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, watercress, zucchini	apples, apricots, blackcurrants, blueberries, cherries, loganberries, plums, redcurrants, strawberries, white currants
Fall	beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, chard, fennel, kale, leeks, onions, peppers, chilies, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini	blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, plums

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Local

It is important to buy local food because you can then support local farmers and producers.  There are currently no laws that protect farmers, so when stores import goods, they place demands on farmers who have no choice but to comply.  By buying local, not only will you be supporting local businesses, but you will also be a sustainable consumer.   You will be reducing the number of miles your food travels before being consumed, and you can reduce the amount of air-freighting, which creates carbon dioxide.  Also, if the number of local food consumers increases, then there will be more pressure on farmers to provide a greater diversity of locally-produced food.  This encourages them to diversify their farms, which leads to free-range, small-scale farming techniques.  Free-range, small-scale farming is more sustainable because it removes the need for pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, and hormones.  Also, free-range produces bought locally are just as safe as organic produce from far away.

So how and where can you purchase local food?  The following are three ways you can buy locally:

1. Box schemes
   
   
   Box schemes are boxes of freshly seasonal fruits and vegetables, which are usually locally-grown on small farms.  They are delivered to your home from the farmer or supplier.  (Image of a box scheme is to the right.)
   
2. Local farmers' markets
   Farmers' markets are usually outdoors, and they offer a wide variety of produce.  You also get to meet whoever produced the food! 
   
3. Small specialist shops
   The vendors of these independent shops are very knowledgeable about their products, and they can help you expand your knowledge about the produce offered in your local area. 
   

You can go to this website in order to find farmers' markets, family farms, farm stands, and other means of sustainably-grown food in your local area.

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Fair trade

99% of the world's coffee is not fairly traded.  This means that millions of growers receive less that 1% of the price we pay for coffee.  "Fair trade" means that farmers and growers receive a fair price for their produce, which helps them gain economic self-sufficiency and security.  According to Transfair USA, the Fair Trade Certified Label "guarantees consumers that strict economic, social and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product.  Fair Trade Certification is currently available in the U.S. for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, flowers, sugar, rice, and vanilla.  TransFair USA licenses companies to display the Fair Trade Certified Label on products that meet strict international Fair Trade standards."

You can go to Transfair USA to find where you can buy fair trade certified goods.

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