Eating sustainably

The most sustainable way to eat is to be vegan and choose organic, local and seasonal produce.

A 2006 study, examining the impact of a typical week’s eating, showed that plant-based diets are better for the environment than those based on meat.

An organic vegan diet had the smallest environmental impact, but the single most damaging foodstuff was beef. All non-vegetarian diets required significantly greater amounts of environmental resources, such as land and water.

Going vegetarian, and taking care to avoid replacing meat with large amounts of dairy products or highly processed foods, will significantly increase the sustainability of your diet.

The UK currently imports around 40% of its food. Switching from a diet based entirely upon imports to a diet of food produced entirely in the UK reduces a person’s food footprint by 57%.

To find out what's currently in season this month take a look at our list of seasonal UK grown produce.