The Lexicon of Sustainability

Today, half the world’s food production—what we eat—depends on chemical fertilizers and herbicides. These are the foundation of Conventional Agriculture, but they pollute our soils, drinking water, waterways, and oceans. Unconventional farmers focus on building soil fertility by working with nature, not against it.

In the last century nearly 75 percent of U.S. agricultural crops have disappeared. Traditionally, farmers would save and share seeds with each other, yet today most seed production is controlled by just a few companies. Vandana Shiva explains the importance of protecting the culture and biodiversity of seeds. It’s what she calls seed sovereignty.

What if you could buy fresh fruit and vegetables each week, grown by a local farmer? Anne Cure of Cure Organic Farm in Boulder, Colorado explains how CSAs, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture, allow consumers to purchase subscriptions from local farmers, and in return, receive weekly boxes of fresh produce while getting to know the people who grow their food.

Economies of scale allows for industries to consolidate and become more efficient. Benzi Ronen of Farmigo in Brooklyn, NY explains how economies of community can help people connect, build and rebuild local food systems.

Consumers learn how to tell the difference between whole wheat and white, while farmers tell the rich story of heritage and identity grains and innovative bakers reintroduce the grains of their youth.

Did you know nearly 40 percent of food that’s grown, distributed, and bought never gets eaten? Learn why "ugly" food gets a bad rap. Through actions like food rescue and redistribution, composting and eating head to tail, people are doing something to reduce the food we waste.

Two farmers, Edwin Marty of Alabama’s Jones Valley Urban Farm and Jay Martin of Provident Organic Farms in Bivalve, Maryland weigh in on local vs. organic and why a piece of paper may not insure you’re getting the best food available.

By considering all of the external expenses factored out of the cost of food, an economic principle called true cost accounting helps consumers understand the real cost of the food they buy.

Can learning the meaning of a single term actually help change the food system? David Evans and Alexis Koefoed think so. These poultry farmers explain the real story behind such terms as cage free, free range, and pasture raised so that consumers can make informed decisions when they go to their local supermarket.

As consumers take increased responsibility for what they eat, many choose to become locavores, favoring foods grown or produced in their communities. By voting local with their pocketbooks when they go to the supermarket, these consumers keep money in local economies while supporting and strengthening local food systems. They also decrease their “food miles” and their carbon footprint.

Our earliest descendants were hunter/gatherers who foraged for their food, were in tune with their surroundings, and ate with the seasons. After foraging was essentially replaced by agriculture, people became increasingly detached from where their food came from. Foraging offers people a way to reconnect with nature and shows that food is all around us.