When it comes to preventing food waste and eating more sustainably, we all need to pitch in. From farm to fork, there is a lot of work that goes into creating a more sustainable food supply.

Food production practices that conserve natural resources and also ensure shelf-life are the first steps to help make our food supply more sustainable. Farmers work year-round to meet the growing demands of feeding the population while still being environmental stewards. Farmers use “precision agriculture” to more selectively use supplies and resources such as fertilizers, pesticides, tractors and irrigation water. As a result, they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pesticide applications, soil erosion and water run-off. 

Once food leaves the farm, or sometimes while it is still there, it is processed in various ways before it reaches your grocers shelf, the restaurant kitchen or your dinner table.  Many of these processes help to increase the shelf-life of food, which makes food waste less likely. Dairy products are a great example; research shows that dairy product waste contributes considerably to overall food waste, and the vast majority of this occurs at the consumer end (not during production or processing). Dairy manufacturers use a number of processes to aid in giving dairy foods a secure shelf-life, but from there, it’s up to us to do our part to stop food waste.

The infographic below gives tips and facts on sustainable eating. These recipes will help you reduce food waste, and get you up to speed on all the techniques that farmers and manufacturers use to make our food supply more sustainable.