Buying and cooking with sustainable food
on the environment and we’re all starting to look at sustainable methods that can promise a couple of benefits.
Sustainable sources of food are said to taste better, be free of chemicals and preservatives, have more nutrition, have a smaller impact on the environment, and also support local and regional economies. But to the average consumer, does this really matter as much as people are making it out to be?
Produce farming might not see any serious ill-effects in the next 10, 20, or even 50 years, but it doesn’t mean that the problem won’t slowly get worse. It could start slow with the prices of certain foods increasing or the quality of foods decreasing due to the mass production strategies used. As the population of the world increases, we’re going to need more and more food in order to feed us. Add that to the current problem of food waste and it should come as no surprise that we may see a crisis in the future. Demand is going to keep rising and sooner or later, it’s going to outstrip the supply and cause economic chaos.
Thankfully, there are many companies that are aiming to create more sustainable sources of the foods that we love. For instance, the Global Salmon Initiative understands that there’s a limited amount of arable land and fresh water that we can use, so their goal is to break away from the exploitation of wild fisheries and instead create a sustainable and controlled method of providing the world with fresh salmon. By supporting these companies, you directly support the massive growth of projects that are aiming for sustainability.
What does it mean to the average person?
These companies will ultimately demand a little more than your average grocery produce because the methods used aren’t on a large scale and they can’t compete in terms of price. In addition, people will be quick to point out things like carbon dioxide emissions from mass producing certain types of food, but the reality is that those large companies are so efficient that even though they do cause more harmful effects on the environment, they produce enormous amounts of food to make up for it and its ultimately more efficient than local produce farmers.
If you simply just want to eat healthy then paying more for organic and sustainable foods isn’t going to help as much as changing your diet. However, if you’re an avid supporter of the planet and want to do your part to help make the world a more stable and beautiful place, then paying a little extra to sustainable farmers can go a long way and help give you more peace of mind.
This is a contributor post, which has been reviewed and edited personally by me before being published. Links to external reviews are meant to provide additional ideas to readers and do not reflect my personal opinion or review of products.
Featured photo credit: Pixabay