Discover sustainable food : trends & issues
Reading 6 min
February 4, 2025
Summary
The current food system, dominated by intensive agriculture, contributes to the depletion of natural resources, CO2 emissions and waste, while leaving nearly a billion people malnourished. Sustainable food, which is respectful of the environment, health and social equity, is based on practices such as plant-based, local and seasonal consumption, and the fight against waste. Adopting a sustainable diet, even gradually, reduces environmental impact and improves health. Companies have a crucial role to play in integrating these principles into their CSR policies and day-to-day food practices.
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Introduction
Did you know that our global food system is largely dominated by intensive agriculture and the agri-food industry? A race for productivity which, unfortunately, is not without consequences.
The results?
Depletion of non-renewable natural resources.
Massive waste production. According to WWF, 30% of the world’s agricultural land is used to produce food… which ends up wasted every year.
And on the CO₂ side? On a global scale, according to WWF, food alone accounts for a third of greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of spring water consumption. Paradoxically, nearly a billion people still suffer from malnutrition.
With the world’s population set to reach 9 billion by 2050, this model is simply unsustainable.
Sustainable food: definition, pillars, challenges
What is sustainable food?
Based on various sources, we can say that sustainable food aims to meet today’s food needs responsibly, while preserving the ability of future generations to do the same.
It is based on a balance between ecological, economic and social dimensions, from production to consumption.
ADEME defines sustainable food as a set of food practices that enable us to feed humanity in sufficient quantity and quality, today and in the future, while respecting the environment and being economically accessible and profitable for the entire food chain.
In concrete terms, a sustainable food supply favors :
- Less meat-based consumption, with plants (fruit, vegetables, cereals, legumes) at the center of the plate.
- Products that are local, in season, certified (AB, etc.) and have a low ecological footprint.
- The fight against food waste.
- Production and consumption that respect biodiversity, ecosystems and human rights.
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What are the foundations of sustainable food?
Sustainable food is based on 3 fundamental pillars:
a. Health & society
From a health point of view, a sustainable diet is supposed to be good for your health. At present, it’s clear that we consume too much meat, salt, sugar and ultra-processed products. This has many adverse effects on our health and longevity (increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, kidney disease, etc.).
What’s more, resources are becoming increasingly scarce as a result of an ultra-productivist system, exacerbating the problem of malnutrition. It is also crucial to consider the depletion of soils, which lose nutrients to the detriment of health.
From a societal point of view, it is imperative to opt for ethical brands that offer respectable working conditions for their workers. In developing countries, respect for working conditions is still all too often neglected.
b. Environmental
In an ideal world, our food system would be more economical and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, today’s food system contributes to numerous CO2 emissions, air pollution, soil erosion, water scarcity and energy depletion, largely due to intensive farming and food transport.
In fact, out-of-season food arriving by river or air has a very heavy carbon footprint. Did you know that the carbon footprint of an airplane flight is the largest of all modes of transport?
And let’s not forget food waste, which is at the root of many energy-intensive waste management processes. According to ADEME, nearly 10 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in France. Food waste emits more CO2 than India, the 4th most emissive country.
c. Economic
It’s crucial to ensure respect for both consumers and producers.
- Consumers: They must have access to healthy, high-quality food that respects their cultural and religious traditions, at an affordable price.
- Producers: They deserve fair remuneration, enabling them to live in decent conditions. Thus, the final price must be set taking into account the entire production chain. At present, many monopolies and large agri-businesses profit from the system, to the detriment of players upstream in the chain, as well as small local producers unable to compete with excessively competitive prices.
d. In practice, how can we achieve a sustainable diet?
In order to respect these 3 pillars, it is imperative to..:
Focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish and good oils
Reduce and diversify your meat consumption
Promoting ethical brands
Favoring organically grown foods
Greater respect for seasonality
Promote short, local circuits
The ecological impact of our diet
Vegetarian vs. carnivorous vs. flexitarian diet
It’s a common misconception that it’s impossible to cover all your essential amino acid requirements (aka the little building blocks that make up our body’s proteins) on plant proteins alone. A varied plant-based diet is perfectly capable of providing the necessary intake. And let’s not forget the other health benefits of a plant-based diet:
- Abundant in fiber
- Rich in vitamins and minerals
- Full of antioxidants
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes
And from an environmental point of view? It’s well known that a plant-based diet is less harmful to the environment than a meat-based diet, the latter often being associated with intensive animal husbandry.
But why not make up your own mind? Here’s a comparison of the carbon footprint of a pasta bolognese dish in 3 diets:
| Vegetarian diet | Carnivore diet | Flexitarian diet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredients used in the sauce | Brown lentils (0,401 kg CO2e/kg) | Grounded beef (35,8kg CO2e/kg) | Half of the gounded beef replaced by brown lentils |
| Carbon footprint of the meal | 0,510kg CO2e | 6,29kg CO2e | 3,40 kg CO₂e |
In a nutshell? The figures speak for themselves. A plant-based diet is far less polluting than a meat-based diet. For those who are more reluctant, why not compromise by gradually increasing your consumption of plant-based products at the expense of animal products? As you can see, this will benefit both the environment and your health.
How can companies play a crucial role in promoting sustainable food?
Companies of all sizes have a key role to play in helping their employees make the transition to a healthier, more environmentally-friendly diet. Implementing a sustainable food strategy should be part of every company’s CSR charter.
In practice, this can be achieved by raising employee awareness through information sessions led by external speakers, by encouraging good eating practices (e.g., the weekly vegetarian challenge), or by offering a greater variety of vegetarian meals in the cafeteria, to the detriment of meat-based meals, while favoring local, seasonal and organic products.
In addition to midday meals, sustainable food also applies to coffee breaks and snacks, catering services at corporate events, loyalty gifts, meetings, and so on. Companies can therefore make a significant impact by opting for more sustainable consumption.
Books and articles on sustainable food
If you’d like to find out more about sustainable food, here are a few resources on the subject:
