Food is a wide domain that concerns our everyday lives. Nowadays, it is not so easy to find something that really that we like and/or is good for us. Food is also considered an important part of our living, especially for those cultures in which it represents tradition. In this case, every single change, even a small part of the process in making food, can be unpleasant. It is sufficient to look at the world-renown food that is pizza.
Pizza is a traditional Italian food that every Italian person safeguards with jealousy. So, just consider how a pineapple pizza could be seen by an Italian, how his or her reaction could be? Even if they secretly like it, they will keep saying it is a shame. Therefore, how can change our way of eating not be seen as hard?
Firstly, we should think about how food, and which type of food, is made. The process of making food is changing thanks to people who opened their eyes and looked behind a huge world as such. Concerning this process, we should take into account the use of water and energy. The European Environment Agency stated in one of its articles, “food needs to be of high quality, diverse, accessible, safe for consumers and affordable”. But, in my opinion, it is not always like this. Moreover, our society pushes us towards comfort food rather than healthy ones (which is just the only one a person does and keeps on track).
Knowing this, imagine how costly all of this is to the environment. Particularly, going back to 50 years ago, we consume twice the food people were consuming before. During the mid-20th century, people from a low class didn’t have enough money to buy meat or if they had animals, they were forced to sell them to live. People from this area rarely ate meat but on religious festivities.
Luckily, Europe tries to employ more modern systems to produce food in order not to spoil the environment. The process of sustainability in food production entails the use of non-polluting systems, using renewable energy, guaranteeing workers a safe setting. In addition, future generations should always be taken into account; it is essential for both them and the environment. The latter we are destroying by buying cheap non-seasonal food, Some perhaps coming from another part of the world, covered by hard plastic to keep it fresh. All of this is caused by a lifestyle where we just grab the first thing we want to eat at the supermarket without consideration of the impacts it has on our environment.
Secondly, is there any law or program which is helping this situation? Fortunately, yes. FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) promotes the Sustainable Food and Agriculture (SFA), in which there are few principles: increasing productivity by protecting and enhancing natural resources, supporting inclusive economic growth and the resilience of people, communities and ecosystems and adapt governance to new challenges.
In addition, the European Union carried out different laws in terms of sustainability and the health environment in general. The latter includes waste management, air pollution, water pollution and genetically modified organisms. The EU policy on the environment comprehends the protection of the natural territory, the use of green and low-carbon economy and the safeguard of EU citizens.
Without taking any measure, the earth could not be able to produce food for future generations.
As we have learned and experienced through history it is a complex system in which many factors are interested: economic, cultural and environmental ones. Every day we see the world population increasing. Each day we see prices rise and make food more inaccessible to countries with growing populations and leading to the spread of famine and starvation. On the other side, there have been many changes in diet: consuming more calories, sugar, salt. In addition, food waste is between 1/3rd and 1/2 of all food produced.
The only thing we can do is promote sustainable food consumption and reducing food waste. The perfect combination is eating seasonal food that we grow by ourselves: it will have a different taste. Food is essential, therefore it is important to keep our biodiversity by making small acts every day.
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