Sustainable food or grocery shopping is the conscious purchase of food products that have little or no negative environmental impact. It entails purchasing environmentally friendly food in terms of quantity, content and packaging.
The coronavirus pandemic has increased our awareness of how vulnerable the food supply chain is, with many grocery stores facing empty shelves and product shortages. Food miles, the distance our food must travel from point of production to point of consumption, are one of the most significant contributors to the food supply chain crisis. These miles can add up depending on the type of food, especially if it has to be transported via airways across the globe.
Food supply chain issues necessitate broad structural change, but our everyday actions can help get the ball rolling. You may be able to influence what items are available on the market by using your purchasing power. Vote with your fork every day, making choices that promote a more equitable, just, and sustainable food system.
Selecting Sustainable Groceries
Sustainable groceries are those sourced from production systems that are mindful of the impact they have on people, the environment, and the community. It involves growing food using best practices. Here are a few examples of what to look for when shopping for sustainable groceries to help you be a more conscious shopper.
Sustainable Ingredients: The brand sources its ingredients sustainably and operates ethically.
Organic foods: The product complies with organic food production standards.
Direct/fair trade: The company sources directly from small-scale farmers and pays fair prices for high-quality products.
Local: The product is sourced locally, which benefits the community economically and socially.
Seasonal Produce: Fruits and vegetables are in season and can be sourced locally, lowering costs and carbon emissions.
SOME STEPS TO GUIDE YOU ON YOUR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SHOPPING JOURNEY
Understanding which sustainable solutions to choose from the variety of choices lining the grocery can be challenging. Use our sustainable grocery shopping tips to help you make the best choices for your family.
Prioritise locally produced food
By purchasing locally produced food, you are opting for food that is better for your health and well-being because they are seasonal, fresher, more nutritious and tastier. By supporting local food producers, we are enhancing domestic food self-sufficiency and protecting traditional food cultures and native species
Reduce the purchase of ultra processed food
Research has found a link between eating ultra-processed foods and increased cardiovascular disease and early death. The studies used the NOVA food classification system:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: Fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat and grains
Processed culinary ingredients: Sugar, salt, butter, lard, oils, vinegar
Processed foods: Freshly made, unpackaged bread, tinned fruits and vegetables, salted nuts, ham, bacon, tinned fish, cheese and unpackaged freshly made bread
Ultra processed foods: Ice cream, ham, sausages, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavoured yogurts, instant soups, and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin, and rum.
It is best to stay away from ultra processed foods and shop for more unprocessed food items.
Diversify your food consumption
“A mere 30 crops supply 95 percent of the calories that people obtain from food, and only four crops—maize, rice, wheat and potatoes—supply over 60 percent.” – Environmental researcher Seth Cook writes
By diversifying our consumption, we can help farmers to adopt more sustainable practice and move away from intensive agricultural practices such as monocropping that destroys soil health, produce higher yields with low nutritional value.
Cook and store food using renewable energy
The use of charcoal, wood, animal dung, or coal for cooking is unsustainable as they release large amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. In addition, approximately 34% of the wood fuel harvested for wood-based cooking is unsustainable, ultimately contributing to degrading forests.
The use of renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro as an energy source in cooking and storing our food will help in reducing the overall impact of the food we eat on our environment.
Begin Small
If you’re just starting out on your sustainable shopping journey, be aware that it’s common to experience reactions such as eco-anxiety, worrying that you’ll never be “perfect” while continuing to use plastic bags, eat foods with a high carbon footprint, and throw away leftovers. Consider eliminating a product packaged in plastic from your grocery list, making your own version, or finding an alternative packaged in a reusable container.
Cut Down on Food Waste
The first step is to make a proper shopping list and purchase only what you require. When you get home, make sure to properly store your groceries to avoid spoilage. Finally, change your perspective on waste. Instead of throwing out odds and ends, turn leftovers into a new meal. Use waste-free cooking techniques such as saving onion and garlic peels to make stock, using the stems of hearty greens in smoothies, and freezing or dehydrating extra vegetables. Simply cooking your own meals helps to reduce waste.
Avoid Plastic Bags and Packaging
Plastic pollution is one of the most serious threats to our ocean’s health, with available data indicating that by 2050, the ocean will contain proportionally more plastic than fish. Reducing the amount of plastic, you bring into your home by shopping sustainably is an excellent way to keep it out of your home and, eventually, the trash. Consider items that come in single-use plastic when making your shopping list. Is it possible to purchase a larger size to reduce packaging waste? Alternatively, look for another brand that uses more sustainable packaging, and don’t forget to bring your own reusable grocery and produce bags.
Content for further reading can be found below:
https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/sustainable-grocery-shopping-tips/
https://www.lifefood.co.uk/couk_en/blog-sustainable-grocery-shopping