Despite substantial scientific evidence linking diets with human health and environmental sustainability, historically there’s been a lack of globally-agreed upon targets for healthy diets and sustainable food production. However, on January 17, 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission (a group of 37 scientists from 16 countries working in the fields of human health, nutrition, economics, agriculture, political sciences, and environmental sustainability) […] Continue reading
Category: Sustainability
2015 Dietary Guidelines will not include a focus on sustainability
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines will not include a focus on sustainability, according to a statement posted Tuesday on the USDA blog. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell wrote that sustainability – defined as evaluating the environmental impact of a food source – is beyond the scope of the […] Continue reading
5 tips for sustainable eating
As we become a more food-savvy society, consumers are looking beyond the supermarket shelf and exploring how their food is produced. Where does all this food come from? Consider that, for example, livestock production – which includes meat, milk and eggs – contributes 40 percent of global agricultural gross domestic product, and uses one-third of […] Continue reading
The new focus on sustainability: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and for our planet
What are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and who creates them? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans were first released in 1980, providing science-based advice to encourage individuals to eat a healthful diet and for the formation of federal food and nutrition and nutrition education programs that help Americans achieve and maintain a healthy weight, promote […] Continue reading
Menus of Change
Sustainability’s importance is far-reaching, and an increasing number of organizations are embracing its principles. Players in the sustainability movement include individuals shopping at farmers markets, to schools incorporating more local produce in school lunches, to the food industry and academic institutions. Continue reading
Talking sustainability with Dr. Gary Adamkiewicz (Part 2)
In Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Gary Adamkiewicz, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Exposure Disparities in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, he answers the question “What exactly does “sustainability” mean? In Part 2 he offers further insights on the relationship between food, the environment, […] Continue reading
Talking sustainability with Dr. Gary Adamkiewicz (Part 1)
Food decisions used to stop at the shelf. We saw something we liked, bought it, consumed it, and didn’t think much about it beyond satisfying our hunger. Now, however, we’re peeking past the shelves to trace where our food came from and how it was grown. In 2015, our food’s “story” is as important as […] Continue reading