A Sustainable Food System: What It Is and What Can I Do?

Over the past decade, and increasingly in the last few years, food sustainability has been a growing concern to many consumers. While the concept of food sustainability is quite complex, the goal is to ensure that our food system and the foods we consume are grown, transported and consumed sustainably.

What often comes to mind to most consumers when thinking about sustainability is the idea of agricultural and ecological sustainability. However, food sustainability is more than that. As described by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), food sustainability is about making changes to agricultural and food systems to “end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition [for all global citizens]” [1]. This goal for a sustainable food system is rooted in the 2015 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

In 2015, the member states of the UN adopted the goals set forth in The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an action plan that aims to achieve “peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future” [2]. The 17 sustainable development goals focus on eliminating poverty and inequity and tackling issues around health, education, and climate change, including preserving our oceans and forests [2].

As part of the UN, Canada also adopted the blueprint to guide “efforts to build an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future, a secure world founded on human rights and the rule of law, free from poverty and hunger” [4]. To achieve these goals, Canada needs to take part in the reshaping of the global food system to make it “more productive, more inclusive of poor and marginalized populations, environmentally sustainable and resilient, and able to deliver healthy and nutritious diets to all” [1].

Food Sustainability

To begin, what is food sustainability and what makes a sustainable food system?

The FAO defines a sustainable food system as “a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised” [1].

This leads me to ponder many more questions. What exactly is a food system comprised of? What exactly does “food system” mean?

To simplify the different components of a food system, you can categorize a sustainable food system into three main categories of sustainability: economic, social and environmental [1].

Economic Sustainability

An important aspect of food sustainability is its economic contribution. To be considered sustainable from an economic perspective, each part of the system (food system actor or support service provider) needs to be financially viable [1]. Activities and policies need to make sense from a business perspective and add or create benefits for everyone involved, including but not limited to:

• wages for workers,

• taxes for governments,

• profits for businesses, and

• food supply improvements for consumers [1].

Social Sustainability

Another aspect that needs to be considered in a sustainable food system is the social dimension. For there to be a sustainable food system from a social lens, there needs to be equity in the value-added distribution that also considers vulnerable groups (i.e. gender, age, race, indigenous people, etc.) [1]. Food systems must also work towards improving social-cultural outcomes such as:

• health and nutrition,

• cultural traditions,

• workers’ rights and safety,

• animal welfare [1].

Environmental Sustainability

The third category, which many consumers may be more familiar with, is environmental sustainability. From an environmental perspective, a sustainable food system needs to look at its impact on the environment. Factors that need to be considered when determining an activity's impact on the natural environment include:

• biodiversity,

• soil and water,

• animal and plant health,

• carbon and water footprint,

• food loss and waste, and

• toxicity [1].

What can you do as a consumer?

There are various things you can do as a consumer to help move towards a sustainable food system.

One thing that you can do is to try to buy locally. In addition to supporting your community, goods that are grown locally travel a shorter distance and use less fuel for transportation, reducing impact on the environment.

 You can also buy seasonal produce. Not only will seasonal food add variety to the diet, but it is also likely that the carbon footprint is lower than items not in season. Non-seasonal items have likely travelled a farther distance to your local grocery store. Visit Foodland Ontario to find out what’s in season!

Consider changes to your grocery list. During your next trip to the grocery store, look for items with less packaging. Choose less-processed food items or plant-based meals more often, including legumes and beans as protein sources. This can translate to less waste and the use of less energy and water, depending on which items you decide to purchase.

Finally, voice your concerns through your wallet. Consider purchasing goods that are grown or produced sustainably in a socially and economically fair manner. By being mindful of the items you purchase, you are letting grocers and food companies know what you are looking for and how you want to impact the food system. Logos, such as Fairtrade Canada or the Marine Stewardship Council Certification, are examples that you can look out for during your next trip to the grocery store. For more information on other common green claims, visit Environmental labels and claims.

Fairtrade Canada [5]

Marine Stewardship Council Certification [6]

What is the role of the dietitian?

As dietitians, what we can do to help Canada and Canadians achieve a sustainable food system will vary depending on the organization and setting we work in. Some activities that you may find dietitians making an impact in include:

• Participating in sustainable food system and diet-related work [7];

• Sharing high-quality and evidence-based information and combat misinformation [7];

• Advocating for sustainable food system and diets [7]; and

• Helping clients balance priorities, health outcomes, and planetary responsibilities in decision-making [7]

Take away message?

The food system is complex, and all three aspects of a sustainable food system, economical, social and environmental, are equally important. As consumers, we can all make small changes to impact our food system and move it towards a system that is more sustainable for all global citizens.

By: Kristie Pun, MHSc, RD
Reviewed by: Pauline Bakowski, MHSc, RD & Cheryl Ching, MSc, RD

Disclaimer: Our blog content is for general education purposes and may not be suitable for individual health conditions. Please see your health professional or book an appointment with one of our dietitians for personalized health recommendations.

References

1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sustainable food systems: Concepts and framework [Internet].Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2018 [cited 2021 Feb 4]. 8 p. Available from: http://www.fao.org/3/ca2079en/CA2079EN.pdf

2. United Nations. The 17 Goals [Internet]. Rome: United Nations; n.d. [cited 2021 Feb 4]. Available from: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

3. United Nation.SDG Poster with Un Emblem [Image from internet]. Rome: United Nations; n.d. [cited 2021 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/news/communications-material/

4. Government of Canada. Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy [Internet]. Canada: Government of Canada; 2019 [updated 2019 Jul 15; cited 2021 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030/national-strategy.html

5. Government of Canada. Fairtrade Canada Logo [Image from internet]. Canada: Government of Canada;2020 [updated 2020 Jul 7; cited 2021 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/Oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02523.html

6. Government of Canada. Marine Stewardship Council Certification Logo [Image from internet]. Canada: Government of Canada; 2020 [updated 2020 Jul 7; cited 2021 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/Oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02523.html

7. Carlsson L, Seed B, Yeudall F. The Role of Dietitians in Sustainable Food Systems and Sustainable Diets [Internet]. Toronto: Dietitians of Canada; 2020 [cited 2021 Feb 4]. 41 p. Available from: https://www.dietitians.ca/DietitiansOfCanada/media/Documents/Resources/Sustainable-Food-Systems-Dietitians-Roles-(Role-Paper).pdf?ext=.pdf