Sustainable diet, one of the goals of the 2030 Agenda

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development incorporates 17 common goals on important issues such as eradicating hunger and fighting climate change. Among these, at least five are closely related to the topic of sustainable food: Zero Hunger (number 2), Good Health and Wellbeing (number 3), Responsible Consumption and Production (number 12), Life Below Water (number 14), and Life on Land (number 15).

As the Agenda demonstrates, food sustainability is closely linked to issues such as biodiversity, food security, inclusion, organic and sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable diet is synonymous with an accessible agri-food model that is perfectly integrated with environmental and social dynamics, with the aim of achieving the correct nutritional needs of the population with the lowest possible environmental impact.

To built a sustainable food system there are 3 main principles to work on:

– responsible food consumption

– reduction of food waste

– food security

The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in the UN 2030 Agenda with the possibility of offering a more sustainable choice, such as organic products, ensuring low-impact food production systems and safeguarding plant and animal biodiversity.

Food Sustainability means: an environmentally friendly, socially responsible production and consumption system which ensure food security.

What can consumers do?

Certainly they can start with small conscious gestures, embrace a more sustainable lifestyle and diet, limit the consumption of food from intensive livestock farms in favour of consuming zero KM and seasonal fruit and vegetables, but above all reduce waste.

According to EU data, 20% of food is still wasted in the European Union.

While governments and supranational entities have to drive change in the field of food sustainability, we can all make socially and environmentally responsible choices every day.