What is sustainable food?
Sustainable food consists of feeding the entire population in a way that benefits people, the planet and territories.
To achieve this, it is necessary to produce, transform, sell, buy and consume food creating prosperity, promoting social justice, caring for, conserving and regenerating our resources and ecosystems, as well as safeguarding the ability of future generations to feed themselves also in a sustainable way.
Sustainable food is
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Good for people
Because it guarantees that everyone has access to the information, training and resources necessary to produce, prepare, buy and enjoy safe, healthy, quality and tasty food that allows us to lead a full life. To this end, sustainable food is sensitive to the needs of the most vulnerable people, in economic terms and also in social terms, such as minors and single, dependent and migrant people.
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Good for the territories
Because it promotes diversified and prosperous local economies that equitably distribute profits and respond to adversities, sustainable food guarantees the well-being of workers in the food system (local and global), values traditional diets and knowledge, and celebrates cultural diversity. In addition, it generates positive relations between the urban and rural world, as well as between the global south and north, based on respect for ecological cycles, for more resilient and supportive cities.
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Good for the planet
Because food is produced, transformed, distributed, sold, bought and disposed of in a way that preserves and regenerates our limited resources, such as water or soil, and also our ecosystems. Sustainable food contributes to curbing the climate crisis, guarantees animal welfare (breeding and wildlife) and preserves and promotes the biodiversity of the planet.
The 9 dimensions for sustainable food
To implement this definition of sustainable food, it is necessary to undertake actions of the following nine dimensions:
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Guarantee the right to sustainable food.
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Choose local, seasonal and environmentally friendly products, such as agroecological, ecological and sustainable fishing products.
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Promote the adoption of healthy diets for people and the planet based on fresh food and avoid ultra-processed products.
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Promote a lower and better consumption of meat and derived products.
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Reduce food waste and packaging.
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Promote fair relationships in the agri-food chain.
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Cultivate diversity in our countryside, our table and our neighbourhoods.
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Create sustainable and empowering food environments.
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Transform the food system with everyone and for everyone.
These nine areas of action are not watertight, since to walk towards sustainable food, it is necessary to work in an integral or systemic way. The transformation of our food not only aims to promote individual changes in the diet, but also to promote the conditions in the different sectors (economic, health, environmental, social and political), activities (production, transformation, distribution, catering, sale, consumption and elimination) and levels of action (individual, community, local, regional, national and international) that allow transforming this complex system without abandoning anyone along the way.
Sustainable food test
Is what I eat healthy? Who did what I'm eating? How much meat should I eat a week? Is it a good idea to eat from your own garden? How many bags of food plastic waste do I throw a week?
Tell us what you eat and we will tell you how you can improve!
