Welcome to the second week of the series on sustainable food that I am writing with Chris Perrin of Blog Well Done.
What is sustainable food?
Food is what sustains life. For millions of people, this is the primary function of food. If you don’t have enough to eat, you’re not going to turn your nose up at a meal because the rice isn’t organic or you’re not fond of broccoli.
But for the majority of people in rich countries, food is more than sustenance. Sure, most of us aren’t quaffing Champagne with lobster and caviar every day, but we do have a reasonable amount of choice about what we eat. No matter your budget, you have a choice about how to spend it. We might choose food for pleasure, we might try to eat the “right stuff” to stay healthy, and we might even think about sustainability. You don’t have to be wealthy to afford to consider the ethics of what you are eating, you just have to be off the bread line.
If I’m not talking about the role of food in sustaining life, what do I mean when I talk about “sustainable food”?
The word “sustainable” dates to circa 1727 and it means:
1. capable of being sustained
2. a) of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged b) of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods. (Merriam-Webster dictionary)
3. Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment. (Dictionary.com)
When I refer to “sustainable food” I am using the second and third meanings. Mainly, I am talking about food that has the lightest environmental footprint, from farm to fork. There are a huge number of factors – what the food item is, how it is grown or harvested, how it is processed, what packaging is used, how it is transported to retail outlets, how it is prepared or consumed in your home and what happens to the waste. It might sound complicated but don’t worry, Chris and I will help you navigate through the maze and try to help you make better choices. You don’t have to do everything at once. We also welcome feedback from readers in the comments section about what works for you.
Social sustainability and local retail
Main street of Miles City, Montana
I also consider social sustainability part of the package. If I want good food now and in the future, I believe I should support the farmers who grow it and also the shops that sell it. I often shop at farmers’ markets so I can make a direct connection with the farmers and I know they are getting a fair price for their produce, rather than having their margins squeezed by greedy supermarkets.
Ideally I’d like the money I spend as a consumer help keep my local community prosperous and vibrant. I was interested recently to see a notice about the 3/50 Project, which is about supporting local retailers. I was intrigued by their statistics.
“For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend it in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.”
The 3/50 Project suggests picking three local businesses and spending $50 a month in them. Apparently if half the employed population spent $50 a month in locally owned businesses, it would generate $42.6 billion in revenue. Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy.
For me, food is an easy way to start, since it’s something I buy anyway. I have a great corner store and a local butcher/wine merchant and both are closer than either the nearby Safeway or Whole Foods. I also have a lot of great restaurants and cafés that are not part of national chains. Outside food, I use a local pilates studio and drycleaner. And I found the notice about Project 3/50 in an extremely rare breed of retailer indeed – an independent video rental store.
Depending on where you live, you might find it harder, though I think $50 a month is not too bad if it’s money you are spending anyway. It’s worth making this effort not only to boost the local economy but to avoid ending up with clone towns, where every main street is lined with the same shops. I saw this a lot in the UK – it didn’t matter where I went, the High Street (the British term for the main street) always had a Boots (pharmacy chain), a WHSmith (newsagent chain), a Greggs (bakery chain), and other interchangeable national chains.
In the UK, the supermarket chains are even more powerful than in the US – especially Tesco, which in 2007 accounted for £1 in every seven spent in UK retailers. Because the supermarkets are often located outside the town centre, with free and plentiful parking, they are often blamed for the death of the High Street. It affects not just the supermarket’s food retail competitors such as green grocers, bakers and butchers, but all the other shops that you might visit while you are doing the weekly grocery shop. More people going to the supermarket on the edge of town, means less passing trade on the main street.
The UK is also very dominated by chain restaurants, especially outside London but even within it. I understand chain restaurants are equally prevalent in American suburbs and towns – I live in San Francisco, which is a foodie town, so my experience is likely to be different to people elsewhere in the US. Chris lives in Kansas, so perhaps he can comment?
Treasure your local independent stores and restaurants. They are the lifeblood of your local economy and their quirks are what makes your neighbourhood unique.
Previous posts:
Roaming Tales: New Year Resolutions: A new series on sustainable food
Blog Well Done: New Years Resolutions: A New Series on Sustainable Eating
Photo credit: “500 Block Building, Main Street, Miles City” by dave_mcmt on Flickr. Photo licensed for commercial use under Creative Commons.
Interesting post. I think part of the problem is Fast Food marketing has many of us sold on the idea that food should be very cheap. But as with everyone else, you get what you pay for. If you look at food as a product–especially meat–it’s not so attractive. After reading books like Omnivore’s Dilemma or Fast Food Nation, I’d gladly pay more for sustainably raised food.
I like this idea of 3/50 Project. I’m all for supporting local and independent businesses!!! I will spread the word here in Toronto. I know some bloggers who are also involved in this.
.-= Jen Laceda´s last blog ..Travels &Beyond: An Interview with Brand Ambassador James Currie =-.
Kansas City is has a lot of chains, but not as bad as some places I’ve seen. Still, everything you are saying about what you saw in London has happened in my hometown. The chains moved into the suburbs and the main city has died off.
Sadly, when we reinvigorated our local downtown, all we did was bring in chain restaurants (and not particularly good ones, either.)
.-= Chris Perrin´s last blog ..Good Food! unResolution Month #14: Chocolate Whip Cream Cake =-.
Thanks for your comment. There are a lot of chains in London but also a lot of great independent restaurants and I wouldn’t say the downtown is dead. After all, it’s a city of 10 million people and these days has quite a foodie culture. The comment about the out-of-town shopping centres was more about some of the other cities and towns around the UK. – Caitlin.
Enjoyable reading and a key topic which has got me thinking about what NZ does. I’ll have to go out and investigate and spread the word.
Thanks for sharing this.
Cate
.-= Cate´s last blog ..In calmer waters down the Rangitikei =-.