Prepared as part of the eTeens Think Twice project by Erica, Maria and Marie Claire.

1. FOOD
SUSTAINABILITY
By Maria, Erica and Marie Claire

2.  The Earth's increasing population means more pressure
on finite resources. It is estimated that if all six billion
people on Earth lived a European lifestyle, we would
need more than two-and-a-half planets' worth of
resources to support us.

3.  Rather than steaming ahead at the current rate, with little
thought for future generations, sustainability is about
seeking ways of providing food, water and energy that
are long-lasting and have less of an impact on the
environment.

4. HOW DOES IT AFFECT WHAT I EAT?
 Eating according to the seasons has disappeared
for most people in the developed world. You can
buy asparagus and strawberries all year round
thanks to refrigeration, heated greenhouses and, of
course, global food transportation.

5.  All these technologies and so-called "food miles" - the
distance the food travels from producer to consumer - bring
with them implications for greenhouse-gas emissions and
consequent effects on the climate. Although eating local
food according to the seasons is the most sustainable
option, if this cannot be done it is important to consider how
producers make the food available out of season. For
example, some studies show importing items such as
lettuce from abroad results in fewer emissions than freezing
locally grown produce.

6. WHAT DOES SUSTAINABLE FOOD MEAN?
 Sustainability takes into account the process from
field to plate. A key word in the sustainable food
dictionary is "local" - minimising energy used in
food production, transport and storage.

7. Food should be produced, processed and traded in ways
that:
 Contribute to thriving local economies and sustainable
livelihoods at home and abroad
 Protect the diversity of plants and animals and avoid
damaging natural resources and contributing to climate
change
 Provide social benefits, such as good quality food, safe
and healthy products, and educational opportunities

8. SO WHAT FOOD IS SUSTAINABLE?
 If you are not about to go to the extremes of rearing
your own livestock and growing your own
vegetables, buying with sustainability in mind is a
matter of finding the right balance.
 Sustainability campaigners recommend buying
local food from farming systems that minimise harm
to the environment, such as certified organic
produce.

9. SHOULD WE EAT FISH?
 Fish stocks are threatened by overfishing and practices that destroy
habitats, and by quotas that result in overcaught or undersized fish
being thrown back dead. Some quota systems have helped
dwindling populations of some species restock.
 The Marine Conservation Society has identified species that are at
risk and others who are in healthy abundance.
 For example, Atlantic halibut has been overfished, which means it is
caught in such high numbers that a sustainable stock cannot be
maintained and the species is classed as endangered by the World
Conservation Union. The MSC recommends choosing Pacific halibut
or farmed Atlantic halibut instead.
 In the UK, the flatfish dab has healthy stocks and is recommended
as a fish to eat, especially if caught by seine netting, which causes
less damage to the seabed than other methods of trawling.

10. WHAT ABOUT FOOD FROM ABROAD?
 Fairtrade food often comes within the wider definition of
sustainable food. And it is the developed world markets that
sustain many producers in poorer countries.
 So if you are buying foreign foods out of season, campaigners
say the sustainable option is to choose Fairtrade-certified
products imported from poorer countries, to ensure a fair deal
for disadvantaged producers.
 The Soil Association, which certifies 70% of the UK's £1.9bn
organic food sector, requires foreign farmers to prove they
provide employment at fair pay and that they are trying to
lessen dependence on air travel. It wants all air-freighted food
to meet tough "ethical trade" standards.