Explain the role of the consumer's diet in contributing to a sustainable food system. What food choices could an eco-conscientious consumer make to conserve environmental resources?

Answer 1

Eco-conscience consumers can reduce pollution and the use of resources through some of the dietary choices they make. A sustainable diet is higher in legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruit, and vegetables and lower in red meats and highly processed foods. Overall, a vegetarian diet requires just one-third of the energy needed to produce the average meat-containing diet. Meat production entails tremendous amounts of water, grain, and land, thus reducing the resources available to grow staple foods for human beings. An exception is livestock raised on the open range; these animals eat grass and require low energy inputs. So much of our beef is grain-fed, however, that the average energy requirement to produce it is high. Opting for more foods derived from plants and fewer foods derived from animals conserves environmental resources.