Earth Day: What initiatives can we take to take action?

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

In honor of Mother Earth Day, which will take place on April 22, 2024, Enerfip offers you a guide that goes beyond the plate! Promoting sustainable food, it helps you become an agent of change and, at your level, contribute to a more balanced, healthy, and planet-friendly future. From field to plate, Enerfip invites you to take a new look at your meals in order to protect the environment and your health. So, are you salivating?

→ Also check out our article on the SERD!

The recap

– Sustainable food: it takes into account current and future global food needs, while preserving the environment, supporting the local economy, promoting health, and ensuring a fair distribution of food resources.
– Its challenges: environmental protection, social justice, improving health, reducing greenhouse gases, and economic sustainability.
– How can we move toward a more sustainable diet? Eat locally and without artificial ingredients, reduce animal protein, and reduce food waste.

Sustainable food: what does it mean?

Key figures

🍎 In Europe, 1 in 5 food items is lost or wasted, or 173 kg per person each year.
🍽️ Studies on the French population show that 20% of people with the best diet, from a nutritional point of view, consume less meat, cold cuts, sugary and alcoholic drinks, and more plant-based products than average. In doing so, their diet emits 18% fewer GHGs and is therefore more environmentally friendly.
💯 The Nutri-Score improves the nutritional quality of baskets by 9.4%.

At Enerfip, we don't do things by halves! “We go all out” when we decide to tackle the subject of sustainable and balanced nutrition. So, before continuing, let's explain what this theme hides.

Sustainable food, what's that? Also known as responsible or ecological food, it is a dietary approach aimed at meeting global nutritional needs while preserving natural resources, minimizing environmental impact, and respecting animal welfare. This way of eating is part of a more comprehensive approach that takes into account the entire system, from production to consumption, including marketing, waste management, and nutritional analysis of products.

What are the challenges of sustainable food?

Now that you know what sustainable food is, let's look at its main challenges!

Environmental protection

Everyone knows: the food industry has a significant impact on the environment. From deforestation linked to the expansion of agricultural land to water pollution due to pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it affects our planet. Concrete solutions, such as more sustainable food, contribute to the change in favor of a harmonious balance between agricultural production and nature conservation.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Key figures

😨 22%: that's the share of food in our individual carbon footprint!
😱 In France, the carbon footprint of our food amounts to 2.1 tonnes of CO2 eq per year per person (the Paris Agreement sets a target of 2 tonnes per person for all emission sources).

Figures from How to feed the planet in 2050? from INRAE

Food production, and particularly intensive livestock farming, is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Favoring sustainable eating (following a vegetarian diet, consuming local products, less animal protein and seasonal products, etc.) helps reduce our impact on the climate.

Economic sustainability

By supporting local, organic, and environmentally friendly production, you promote responsible practices that strengthen the green economy of a given region.

Environmentally friendly labels

🌿 Eurofeuille
🥬 V-Label
💪🏻 Who's the boss?!
🌞 Organic Fairtrade in France
♻️ Organic Coherence
🌳 Rainforest Alliance

Improving health

Consuming fresh, unprocessed products from environmentally friendly agricultural practices, in addition to promoting responsible production, reduces risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Good for the planet and good for you.

On your plate, this means...

🍗 Less meat, for a maximum of 3 days a week
🍣 Less fish, for a maximum of 2 meals a week
🫑 More vegetables grown locally and in season
🌾 More legumes and cereals to replace meat, fish, milk, eggs...
🍕 Fewer processed products and refined flours
✅ More labeled foods

Social justice.

You're probably wondering what this point is doing on the list of sustainable food issues. However, think again, it definitely has its place! How? A healthy and sustainable diet ensures equitable access to quality food for all. As a result, it helps combat food inequality and support the most disadvantaged.

What you need to remember is that sustainable eating is full of benefits for your body and the planet. But that's not all! You are also committing to a more sustainable future for you and your neighbor. A great ecological gesture!

Our tips for moving towards a more responsible diet

Moving towards a more responsible diet is easier said than done. That's why, in this guide to sustainable and responsible eating, we offer you some environmentally friendly eating habits to adopt.

Eat local

What is locavorism?

It's a movement that consists of consuming local produce as much as possible, that is, buying products within a limited radius around you.

This advice is simple, and yet, faced with the immensity of supermarket shelves, it can sometimes be quickly forgotten! It is recommended to consume local and seasonal foods to limit greenhouse gas emissions linked to transport and, above all, to support local farmers. Go to organic grocery stores, markets, or directly to the producer!

Reduce your meat consumption

"There is no deconsumption of beef. The French continue to eat it, but there is a change in eating habits. We cook at home less often and we eat out more frequently for lunch or dinner."
Patrick Bénézit, President of the National Bovine Federation.

Opting for a flexitarian or vegetarian diet is good for your health. But that's not all! It also helps reduce your carbon footprint while preserving natural resources. How? Meat production is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to deforestation.

Fight food waste

To avoid throwing away food, and thus move towards a more sustainable diet, we recommend planning your meals. To do this, simply prepare a shopping list in advance and follow it. Still, don't panic if you slip up a bit! The trick is to find the right balance and avoid making too large quantities or letting products expire.

Recipe books to devour
🍳 I cook eco-friendly (or almost)! by Louise Browaeys, Hélène Schernberg and Guillaume Czerw
🌎 My plate takes care of the planet by Agathe Michel
👩🏻‍🍳 Good on the plate, good for the planet by Ninon Gouronnec
🍊 The adventure begins on the plate 50 recipes from a foodad by Alix Noblat
❤️ The healthy plate by Alexandra Dalu and Thierry Marx

Reduce over-packaged products

Who hasn't seen pears in a small plastic-wrapped crate, cereal in a bag itself in a cardboard box, yogurts in packs of 20 wrapped in cardboard paper...? The list is long, while all this packaging is superfluous! So to move towards sustainable and responsible eating, opt for products without artificial ingredients or with recyclable or compostable packaging.

Industrial products to make at home
🍫 Spread
🍔 Burger bun
🍢 Breaded fish
🍅 Ketchup
🍹 Grenadine syrup

As you might expect: this list is not exhaustive. We have compiled the main tips for a more sustainable diet. However, if you're interested in the topic, you should know that in honor of Earth Day, Enerfip is communicating about sustainable food, its challenges, and its issues via social media. We look forward to seeing many of you in the comments!