Our Planet’s Future Depends On Our Food Choices

Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr +

If you are one of those people who care about where your food is sourced from, you’re going to want to read this. I don’t believe in preachy posts, and I certainly don’t claim to know all the answers. But one thing I am certain of, is that what you’re about to read is going to either surprise you, or help you make a more informed choice – but, of course, ultimately, the decision about what you eat is yours and it should be.

Our food choices are placing extreme pressures on our planet. That’s a fact, and not an exaggerated statement in favour of some green ideology. Earth is reaching its maximum human capacity, and there is only so much land for us to harvest our foods from. Think about how many grocery choices you have. I mean really think about it.

Supermarket Sweep:

Imagine walking into your local supermarket with the task of having to tally all of the available foods. And this is only one store. There are millions of places to get food around the world, all with increasingly different choices. Profit-making is driving the food industry. Foods we didn’t know about have now surfaced and is being praised as mega-food, or food that you should be eating for your health, and even food that’s the “trendy” thing to consume.

This pressure and demand is forcing producers to maximize the amount of food they grow on existing land. Transnational corporations seek the most cost-effective, and efficient supply chains to feed these extra mouths. Each year, a billion tons of topsoil are lost each year through erosion in the 28 EU states alone, and land use has driven 58 per cent decline in species abundance since 1970.

food choices
Fresh Produce

The problem is that food supply chains are complicated, and not easy to decipher. As consumers, we rely on businesses or individuals to come out with ethical plans to be sustainable and fair. We also rely on supermarkets to offer what we are told is ethically sourced foods.

People who can afford to eat consciously in terms of what they believe is food derived through sustainable means of production, are willing to shop at high-priced markets. It’s what has fueled a multi-million dollar industry for those supermarkets in the first place. But this commitment is also offset by business interests that look to capital-first priorities. Their final responsibility is to turn a profit for shareholders.

The problem with labels:

Often times the labels and ingredient lists that we rely upon to help us make informed choices are not painting the whole picture. Sure, it’s great to know that our red meat is “organically certified” but what exactly did the animal eat? These types of questions are tedious and cannot be summed up by a label. Will you ever entirely know the who, what, when, where, and whys of how your last meal was sourced? Obviously not.

That being said, having greater transparency is important because it holds producers to higher standards. Chances are that soybeans were a big part of the cows, chickens, and pigs’ diets. This soy is a great cause of deforestation, and many times they are not sourced ethically.

While we can eat almost any fruit throughout the year, we don’t know whether the benefits to overseas farmers who produce these foods outweigh the environmental costs of consuming out-of-season foods. That’s something to think about the next time you visit your grocery store.

Related:

Aramark Canada Supports Local Farmers With Government-Funded Initiative

Climate Change EmergencyTips: Food Supplies

CLIMATE CHANGEBeer Supplies Threatened by Climate Change
Share.

About Author

Nadia Zaidi is a freelance multimedia journalist whose work is featured in several print and digital publications. She previously developed and hosted a show on youth issues for community television, and produces short-documentaries for public outreach. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Ryerson University.

Leave A Reply