Food systems account for approximately 34% of the emissions emitted into the atmosphere. And about 92% of the world water consumption.
The food we produce, consume, and dispose of has a profound effect on this world. Our choices and behaviors can have an important impact towards a more sustainable world.
But what does it mean to eat sustainably? What do our food choices and global sustainability have to do with each other? Our choices and what we do as consumers have an impact. And fortunately, there are some great innovations happening in this space.
The impact between food and sustainability
There are five primary links between our food choices and the sustainability of our planet.
- Increased emissions
Higher demands on the food system creates a chain of events that continuously increases emissions produced across key processes. These includes food’s production, transportation, storage, and packaging.
- Water scarcity
Water sources continue to deplete, with increased demand due to rising populations and industrialization. The food that we eat has serious implications on water amounts needed for production.
- Soil degradation
Soil health preservation is critical for a myriad of reasons, including water preservation, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and producing nutrient-rich foods. When not well preserved, soil simply becomes dirt, leading to unproductive land. Modern land demands and commercial opportunities are resulting in farming practices that are harming soil in alarming ways.
- Land and biodiversity loss
The interaction between land use, biodiversity preservation, and food choices is significant. Increasing populations and the food types we demand put pressure on the food system, including using extensive amounts of land for agricultural production. This leads to ecosystem and habitat disruptions, and negatively impacts biodiversity. Livestock uses 77% of all farmlands to produce less than 20% of food calories, while food crops (fruits, vegetables, and grains) use 23% of farmland.
- Social and economic inequality
Significant social issues are also part of the negative environmental impacts. That includes labor exploitation, gender inequality, educational and health disparities, food insecurity, and nutrition disparities. And unequal food and nutrition distribution is a significant issue too. Approximately 27% of the population globally experiences food inadequacy.
What can we do?
There is a lot that consumers can do to help reduce the negative impacts of food systems.
- Waste Less: Approximately one-third of food intended for human consumption every year is wasted or lost. This is equivalent to about 1.3 billion metric tons, enough to feed two billion people, and it’s valued at $1 trillion.
As consumers we can reduce our waste by eating more of the food we buy, including using more of the whole food itself. We can also compost! Currently, only 4.1% of food waste is composted annually in the U.S. Composting significantly cuts down on the trash in the landfill, and compost can act as natural fertilizer to enrich soil health through increased nutrients. This increases soil’s ability to retain moisture and further sequester carbon, removing it from the atmosphere.
- Dietary shifts: Consuming a balanced plant and animal-based diet can have a significant effect on the footprint we create. Plant-based crops produce an average of 3 to 5 kilograms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per 100g of food. Fish, pork, and poultry produce an average of 5 to 15 kilograms of GHG per 100g of food and beef products produce approximately 100 kilograms of GHG (including methane) per 100g of food. Furthermore, it takes 24 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of tomatoes & it takes 1852 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef.
Reducing (not eliminating) a diet heavy on animal-based products, and instead eating more plant-forward meals, can significantly reduce the emissions, as well as water and land use pressure we impart on our food systems. Furthermore, this diet has significant health benefits associated with it as well.
- Eat from better sources: Eating locally can be beneficial in several ways. It can provide a more direct connection to the farmer, with a greater percentage of the sales going directly to the farmer. Eating locally helps reduce emissions associated with transportation and the food supply chain and can promote the native food consumption, optimizing biodiversity.
- Teach out kids about sustainable food systems: Kids are amazingly impressionable. It may be harder for adults to make sustainable eating changes, kids are adaptable. The more we teach and expose our children to sustainable food habits, the more it becomes natural and normal for them and for future generations. Chefs4Impact, a non-profit, I proudly support, focuses its efforts on teaching children in the community about sustainable food systems through a hands-on learning and community garden-based curriculum. Exposing our kids to these messages in our homes can truly drive change.
Final words
Luckily for us, there are a lot of great new business innovations being developed to support the food industry’s sustainability journey. That includes the rise of alternative animal products including plant-based meats such as mycelium chicken, plant-based proteins such as insect and pea proteins, as well as cultivated cell-cultured or 3D printed meats. We’re also seeing great innovations in bioplastics made from compostable materials such as potato starch, cornstarch, bamboo, algae, seaweed, and mushrooms.
I believe that we can move the needle and help create a more sustainable future by bringing sustainability into everyday living and meeting people where they are. This will help them continue building connections to sustainability.
Our food choices are such an important way we can help drive sustainability. It’s a great example of how the sustainability of our own health strongly aligns with global sustainability. The food and agricultural practices that better support the world typically also lead to better nutrient-rich diets for us. As we understand these consequences and make more sustainable choices, we are supporting our health and the world.
Shila Wattamwar is CEO of, Radiant Global Advisory.