Healthy eating for you and the environment

Intensive food production uses vast amounts of fertilisers and pesticides which use a lot of energy during the manufacturing process. Also, food not produced locally has to be transported to distribution centres – leading to further use of energy and CO₂ emissions. Another problem with intensive systems is the impact of pesticides on water resources, wildlife and human health.

First steps

• Reduce the amount of meat you eat and try to buy better quality or organic
• Join a local organic box scheme to get good quality fruit and veg delivered to your door or choose a supermarket delivery service
• Take a trip to your nearest farmers' market to get food that is locally grown and produced
• Drink tap water rather than bottled water
• Purchase Marine Stewardship Council certified fish to ensure you are buying fish from sustainable sources and increase the variety of species
• Avoid buying heavily processed food
• Compost your kitchen and garden waste to develop a nutrient-rich fertiliser for your plants

Challenge yourself

• Why not grow food in your garden or rent an allotment from your council?
• Lobby your supermarket to provide food with less packaging and to improve their ethical food sourcing
• Lobby your supermarket to sell and promote MSC
• Lobby your workplace or children's school to provide organic and fairly traded foods for meals
• Buy milk from your local milkman to reduce the amount of plastic produced. Glass milk bottles are reused on average 12 times and milk floats are electric vehicles

Read more eco tips on our message board.