 According to the American Dietetic Association, achieving a sustainable food supply is about how individual choices and advocacy impact the environment (ecology), food distribution systems, other people, and the economic success of our local and international communities.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines, with its recommendations for increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and the proportional recommendations of the MyPyramid provide a platform for foods produced and sold locally. Because they often are minimally processed, minimally packaged and may be fresher, these foods:
- Fit more easily into a healthy diet as they are naturally higher in fiber, lower in fat, salt, sugar and additives;
- Tend to retain valuable nutrients,
- Bypass energy costs of food processing, and
- Reduce packaging waste.
What does this mean to me?
Committing to a more sustainable dining lifestyle need not be difficult. With a few simple tips from Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com), you can maintain a more sustainable way of food shopping and eating:
Shop locally. Look for locally grown produce at farmers' markets, farm stands and food co-ops. You get fresher fare, support your community and help reduce fuel waste and emissions from long-distance shipping. (Learn more about Georgia-grown products from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.)
Keep an eye on the "9." Check the numbered stickers on fruits and veggies. If they start with nine, your produce is organic, meaning it's grown pesticide-free.
B.Y.O.B. — "bring your own bag." Skip your supermarket's plastic bags and transport groceries in reusable tote bags or canvas produce sacks.
Reduce waste. Buy in bulk, pick fresh ingredients and look for products with limited — or at least recyclable — packaging.
Grill it! Outdoor grills take less energy than your stove and keep heat out of the house, reducing costly strain on your AC. Better still: upgrade to induction cooking — it's most efficient.
Go compostal! Feed fresh kitchen scraps (no meats or oils, please) to a compost pile. Then use the nutrient-rich compost to perk up your herb garden.
Emory's Commitment
Emory is committed to sustainable dining choices through the University's Sustainability Initiative, with goals "to provide and encourage healthy food choices at all times of day" and to "procure 75% of ingredients from local or sustainably grown sources by 2015."
This commitment allows Emory to contribute to a number of related goals, including rural economic health, civic vitality, open space preservation, reduced use of fossil fuels, environmental protection from harmful agricultural inputs and practices, preservation of biodiversity, safe and just working conditions in the agricultural sector, improved human health, optimal nutrition, and new systems of accountability.
Learn more about Emory's commitment through the Office of Sustainability.
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Terms You
Should Know
Sustainable
Farms show attention to soil quality, reduced chemical use, crop rotations, water quality, energy resource conservation and waste management. Also includes the humane treatment of animals and safe and fair working conditions and pay.
Georgia Local
Specifies that the product originated in Georgia
Regional Local
As defined by the Emory Sustainability Committee, regional products were grown or raised in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee or Kentucky.
Organic
Offers assurance that the environmental harms have been minimized through the prohibiting of some pesticides, genetically modified food varieties and chemical fertilizers. Benefits farm workers and farm ecosystems. |
