As people and countries around the world grow and advance technology and production, sustainability has become an increasingly important issue. Food sustainability in particular has become a major area of focus for experts around the world as our population continues to grow. Sustainable agriculture is aimed at being able to provide for the world’s ever growing food needs while maintaining and conserving environmental resources. This growing movement is crucial in ensuring widespread, quality nutrition. We provide here ten sustainable habits to adopt into your daily life to do your part in minimizing waste and supporting environmental/resource conservation.
- Reduce Beef Consumption: The production of beef is massively unsustainable and leaves a major negative environmental impact. It requires 160 times more land to produce beef than other plant-based foods, directly leading to uncontrolled deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest. In addition, 36 kilograms of CO2 are released for every kilogram of beef produced. By cutting down on your beef consumption, you can lower your carbon footprint and contribute to environmental conservation.
- Eat More Legumes: Beans and other legumes provide a sustainable source of protein that can replace many meats. The production of legumes is much more environmentally friendly, as it doesn’t come with the massive land requirements and carbon emissions associated with red meats. In addition, the nitrogen-fixation process seen in legumes improves soil fertility, reducing the need for fertilizers harmful to the environment. Eating more beans is a healthy, sustainable habit that contributes to environmental conservation.
- Buy Local: Locally grown foods are becoming increasingly popular as the movement towards sustainability grows. Choosing products grown locally comes with numerous environmental benefits, including the protection of small farm land that otherwise may be taken for industrial and commercial purposes and the reduction of food miles. In addition, local foods are usually pesticide and preservative free and have lowered risk of food contamination. Buying locally grown products is an easy and healthy sustainable habit to adopt.
- Choose Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables: The seasonal fruits and vegetables you find at your local farmers market are a better choice when it comes to sustainability than those that may have to travel hundreds of miles to get to you. This long distance shipping eats up gas and releases unnecessary carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Buy fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables in bulk and freeze them to store for longer periods of time in order to reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably.
- Grow Your Own Fruits and Vegetables: Contributing to a community or private garden is an amazing sustainable habit to adopt. Not only will it provide you fresh and delicious produce, but it significantly reduces your carbon footprint as well. Gardening is also associated with numerous health benefits! Try growing your own food and pick up a fantastic sustainable habit for conservation of resources.
- Cook More Servings: An easy way to conserve energy and live more sustainably is to cook more servings than necessary and freeze the leftovers. This will not only save your time, but microwaving leftovers rather than cooking a new meal is an easy way to cut down on energy consumption and reduce your carbon footprint.
- Reusable Water Bottles: With Americans throwing away 60 million plastic water bottles every day, plastic consumption is a serious issue and threat to sustainability. We too often use plastic water bottles or even canned water unnecessarily. Invest in a water filter that allows you to drink tap water and take your reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. This simple habit can make a huge difference in environmental conservation and will also save you money.
- Take Public Transport: Public transport is widely available and mostly underused. Reducing the number of cars on the road reduces carbon emission as well as traffic congestion. In addition, it’s probably more affordable for you to take the bus or train to work. Use the extra time to read a book or just to catch your breath in the middle of a busy day!
- Invest in Reusable Straws: An extremely simple and easy habit to adopt, using reusable straws is an important step to take towards living a more sustainable lifestyle. Single-use plastic straws used widely around the world are incredibly wasteful. With bans on plastic straws beginning to gain popularity, it’s a good idea to buy a couple metal or silicone straws to use around your home. Using reusable straws is a great sustainable habit with even better implications towards conservation.
- Choose Better Cooking Utensils: Plastic cooking spatulas and spoons are a much cheaper option, leading many to choose them over their metal and wooden counterparts. These cheaper, hard-plastic utensils, however, take hundreds of years to degrade and contribute to our unhealthy plastic consumption. Buying a metal or wooden spatula may be more expensive, but they last much longer and are cleaner options for the environment.
