Consumers are driving change

Its most recent study indicates that if the entire spectrum of food production is factored in, from growing crops to transportation and packaging, food production potentially contributes to as much as 37 per cent of global green house gas emissions.

Better land use, less meat-intensive diets and reducing food waste should be global priorities, crucial to the immediate, all-out effort needed to forestall a climate catastrophe.

The IPCC and other researchers have alsopredicted agriculture in southern Africawill be severely affected by climate changewith agricultural systems that remainlargely rain-fed.

A greater understanding of the balance between nature and biodiversity and how intrinsically linked they are to the production of food gives us hope. We require a new way of thinking about how our food is produced, processed, packaged and accessed.

This improved consciousness will help us better understand and advocate for authentic solutions to reduce our ecological footprint - important as problems related to inequality, poverty and populations increase.

This is where the role of the conscious consumer becomes key: they hold businesses accountable by questioning business motives, the authenticity of catchy slogans, deceptive ingredient labelling and sustainable claims to push for traceable transparency in our food chain.

Small-scale food production is not only important to sustainable development, but it is also one of the only sources of livelihood for a lot of the rural communities in South Africa.

Food choices consumers make directly influence the livelihoods of small scale farmers, their communities and nutritional food security in our country. The importance of eating seasonal produce and supporting local production systems that implement regenerative practices to control soil erosion, promote the conservation of water and enhance biodiversity; along with incorporating methods to enhance soil carbon, health and reduce soil degradation is critical.

The current and future impact of our food system relies on the choices we make today. Every time a consumer makes a food choice it is an endorsement of how that food item was produced. While the majority of consumers do not know where their food comes from or how it is produced, this is set to change in the future. Manufacturers and processors will have to answer some tough questions, and stay informed.

Issues include:

• Stay informed about food-related climate and social justice issues in South Africa

• Answer tough questions regarding impact studies

• Place political will behind agroecology

• Insist on traceable transparency in thefood chain to allow for informed choice

• Insist on transparent standards to any ethical or sustainable claim

• Help support progressive programmes that promote sustainability-minded collective action

• Support local small-scale farmer food distribution initiatives but ask for proof of any sustainable or ethical claims being made

• Pay active attention to farms and restaurants who have been recognised as leaders in the sustainable sourcing, cooking and dining industry.

‘Nothing short of a global transformation of the food system will be needed to stand any chance of reaching all 17 SDGs. If we get it right with food, we get it right with everything else,’ Johan Rockström, executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and professor of environmental science at Stockholm University concludes.