The Wake

Sustainability is a widely misunderstood and ambiguous noun, verb, and adjective. The Wikipedia definition of sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Everyone can do their part to “meet the needs of the present;” and it can be done in many different ways. One of the simplest ways to reduce your ecological footprint is to re-evaluate your eating habits. Eating in a sustainable manner is easy once you train yourself to think about the bigger picture of food production. Before you choose your food, think about where it came from and what went into producing it; then make your choice.

4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Eat More Sustainably

1. Buy Local! Much of the carbon footprint of food production comes from transport. Most food in ordinary supermarkets is grown in far-away regions and has traveled thousands of miles before it ends
up on your plate. The trucks, planes, trains, and boats that are used in transport all burn excessive
amounts of fuel.

2. Buy Organic! The vast majority of food consumed in the U.S. is grown using farming practices that
are intensely harmful to the environment. Erosion and depletion of nutrients in soil, contamination of
soil and watersheds by chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and monocultural cultivation methods all
contribute to the degradation of the environment. Organic farms, which do not use chemical fertilizers
or pesticides and employ more earth-friendly farming methods are better for the environment.
Therefore, while it may be more expensive, buying organic products is a great way to lessen your carbon footprint.

3. Go Veg! Did you know that a large portion of greenhouse gases is methane gas from cow farts? Additionally, producing meat as a food source is a losing proposition energy-wise: far more calories were needed to feed the cow than you actually get by eating meat. If you’re like me and couldn’t dream of not having a cheeseburger once in a while, you can still make a difference by eating less meat- even if you don’t remove it from your diet altogether.

4. Grow your own food! Last summer, my girlfriend and I planted a garden in her backyard. At the end
of the summer, we had more carrots, beans, lettuce, kale, broccoli, and garlic than we knew what to do with! If you have a backyard, or even a pot on a windowsill, you can have fresh produce that is the epitome of local. Besides being extremely sustainable, it saves money. I would estimate that we grew about $200 worth of produce in our 10 x 7 foot square.

Don’t know where to start with all of this? Minneapolis has a good smattering of cooperative natural
food stores that provide a great starting point for eating sustainably. The staff members are usually
quite knowledgeable about low-impact eating and can help you make choices about your food that will
be ecologically responsible. If you’ve got a couple of hours to kill, check out Seward Co-op on Franklin,
which is just a short ride on the 2 from the U of M.