Sustainable Food

[Notes from 2017 discussions with students]

A sustainable food system:

• Supports ecosystems with regenerative organic growing
  • reduces GHG by sequestering carbon into the soil
  • builds soil health & reduces erosion
  • promotes biodiversity & resilience / preserves plants & animals (including people) that are poisoned by synthetic chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics) used in industrialized agriculture
• Ensures fair treatment of growers, workers, and farm communities
  • Fair Trade
  • farmers & farmworkers paid fairly for their work — and not exposed to toxic chemicals
  • communities not polluted with pesticides & other chemicals in the air, soil, & water
• Supports health instead of undermining it
  • higher nutrition density
  • no systemic pesticides in the food
  • minimal processing & additives
• Minimizes waste
  • packaging
  • donating surplus
  • composting 
• Emphasizes going local  
  • higher % of expenditures stays in local economy 
  • increased emphasis on seasonal foods
  • reduces transportation costs & greenhouse gas emissions
• Provides access to sustainably-grown food that supports health!
  • affordability 
  • education