Food choices play a significant role in determining our individual carbon footprints, and thanks to some great local resources laid out below, there’s never been a better time than now to take action. In the realm of food, there are three very clear ways to start reducing your impact on the environment today, one decision at a time.
(1) Source regeneratively grown, organic food
Industrial agriculture prioritizes short-term efficiency and cost, but inevitably leads to environmental damage, nutritional degradation, and destruction of our limited natural resources. The practice of spraying plants with chemicals and keeping hormone and GMO-pumped livestock on feedlots not only diminishes the nutritional value of our food, but also plays a huge role in wiping out our limited topsoil and precious atmosphere.
While still in the minority, there are many producers and growers doing things the right way here in Georgia. When we begin to see that our food is an investment that goes beyond simply filling our bellies, we can start to make more beneficial choices. For a helpful resource on who’s growing, producing, and selling organically grown regenerative food, check out Georgia Organics’ Good Food Guide. Additionally, Slow Food Atlanta’s Snail of Approval list also helps identify environmentally-minded restaurants and food businesses that actually put their money where their mouth is.
(2) Compost your food scraps
Contrary to popular belief, throwing compostable materials into the garbage still creates harmful environmental outcomes. According to the USDA, nearly 5 million tons of greenhouse gasses are emitted from landfills each year in the United States from food scraps alone. So what can we do about it?
It’s not always feasible or convenient to start a compost pile, and much of the material takes a long time to break down in backyard environments. Thankfully, businesses like CompostNow offer home compost pickup services here in Georgia, using heavy-duty processes to quickly break down and repurpose compostable materials into rich compost, which is then used to grow more food on farms and backyards around the State. If you don’t have time or space to compost on your own, consider letting CompostNow do the heavy lifting and schedule their pickup service.
(3) Source your food locally
Food transportation has a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions and food waste. Here in Georgia, our grocery store shelves are filled with food from around the country and the world. That movement burns through a lot of fossil fuels, creates excess food waste in anticipation of spoilage, and causes farmers to grow and produce food based on shelf life rather than nutritional value and flavor.
Instead of relying on national and international food sources, Georgians have a bounty of local food resources to choose from. In addition to Georgia Organics’ Good Food Guide and Slow Food’s Snail of Approval List, Fresh Harvest is another business that seamlessly and conveniently brings local organic produce along with regeneratively raised meat and groceries directly to your doorstep.
Browse the best of Georgia-grown food from the comfort of your home and let Fresh Harvest bring it to you from their farm partners around the State. Their flexible delivery service is fully customizable, and every purchase represents an investment into the planet, nutrient-dense organic food, and into building a more resilient local food system.
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Here’s to creating a more sustainable food future this Earth Month, one decision at a time!
