Day 3

Nothing brings humans together quite like food. All across the globe, we work for, seek out and gather around food. It is our common table. But too many people struggle with food insecurity, lack of adequate nutrition, disrupted harvests, yields and famine, all exacerbated by climate change. Rising temperatures leave crops shriveled from the heat, while intensified natural disasters threaten to flood major bread baskets. We’re left with a choice: do we accept these fates or work together to build resilient solutions to food, hunger and agriculture challenges?

Just this year, the World Bank Group announced a $30 billion investment to address current food crises. With growing turmoil around the world and precipitous loss of food production due to war and climate change, this investment will save lives. In Africa, someone dies every 48 seconds as famine and drought intensify; sending $2.3 billion directly to Southern and Eastern Africa won’t eradicate the issue, but is a sign that global organizations, composed of concerned global citizens, are ready and willing to take the steps needed to combat famine, mitigate harm, prevent senseless death, and ultimately create resilience! 

Yet, no single investment is enough. In order to mitigate the food crises of today and tomorrow, we must look at the entire food system. In 2020, an estimated 38% of global land was used for agriculture; this is unsustainable. With the rise of sophisticated and rapid global transportation, preservatives, refrigeration and packaging, it’s easy to shop in a market or online without considering where your food came from or at what environmental cost. An awareness of where our food comes from and how it gets to us is the first step in creating a sustainable, equitable global food system.

Our current food system requires industrial agriculture to meet demand. Industrial agriculture consists of highly concentrated and mechanized processes that rely on fertilizers and toxic chemicals, which damage natural resources at unprecedented scale. This damage includes the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, water pollution, and one of the highest greenhouse gas emission rates of any industry. Industrial agriculture is responsible for emitting more greenhouse gasses than all cars, trucks, trains and airplanes combined, according to National Geographic. 

In comparison, sustainable agriculture yields organic products grown without chemical additives, pesticides or genetic modification. Organic agricultural standards can and should be applied to plant and animal products alike, which too often have detrimental effects on animal welfare, the environment, and human health. Organic pioneers, like our partner Nature’s Path, grow food in ways that ensure the nourishment of communities and preservation of life. A study published in the journal, Environmental Health, has shown a strong correlation between those who eat organic foods and lower risks of major illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. For more research on the benefits of organic, check out the Organic Center, an organization dedicated to credible research about organics.

Another form of sustainable agriculture is regenerative organic agriculture. This allows farmers to produce healthier soils by removing carbon from the atmosphere and locking it into soil where it feeds the growth of crops and produce. Many techniques, including crop rotation and agroforestry, have been used for centuries by Indigenous peoples. In conservation crop rotation, instead of planting the same crop every year, farmers rotate crops to increase organic matter and nutrients in the soil, while also limiting pests, improving air and water quality, and increasing plant pollination. No-till agriculture is also a piece of the puzzle. Tills break up soil to rid weeds and air from the ground, but can also strip away necessary nutrients. By not tilling, soil remains undisturbed, which improves plant health, air quality, and conserves the non-renewable resource of soil itself. If implemented worldwide, these practices have the potential to sequester dozens of metric tons of carbon per year. 

When advocating for sustainable agriculture, we need to keep in mind that not everyone is affected in the same way. Environmental protections need to go hand in hand with equitable access. Currently, the negative effects of chemical-laden conventional foods disproportionately affect minority communities, who live with limited access to fresh and healthy food. This is known as food apartheid, a problem that must be combatted by proactively creating food sovereignty through community-driven solutions and systemic change.

One way Turning Green takes a proactive stand for food justice is through our Conscious Kitchen program and its commitment to food equity, access, and education. Conscious Kitchen has been serving fresh, local, organic, seasonal, nutritious (FLOSN), and low-waste meals to students since 2013. This program created the first organic public school meal program in the country, beginning with one historically-marginalized school, where 95% of students qualify for government-subsidized school meals. By partnering with schools and communities to shift the paradigm around food access, replacing pre-packaged and processed food with fresh and organic ingredients for school meals, and building out robust organic farm-to-school supply chains, Conscious Kitchen supports local organic farmers and benefits student health, climate justice, and local economies.

If you’re feeling hungry after all this talk about delicious and sustainable food, check out these great FLOSN recipes from our Conscious Kitchen Cookbook.

Each GREENER winner will receive:

• Selection of certified organic products from our partner, Nature’s Path Foods, an independent family-owned company whose mission is to leave the earth better than we found it.
• Copy of Chronicle Books’ cookbook, Plenty, which launched Yotam Ottolenghi from a fabulous chef, London restaurant owner, and British newspaper columnist to an international food celebrity. 
• Set of enamelware (dinner plate, bowl, and cup) from our partner, Crow Canyon, a certified woman-owned business and America’s favorite producer of enamelware since 1977. Their enamelware is thoughtfully designed for life. 
• Bamboo Utensils Set

EACH GREENEST WINNER WILL RECEIVE: