Sustainable Food Consumption
About Lesson

Take a stand, make a difference!

As a consumer, do I have any influence at all on the production of food?

Yes, because a change in consumer behaviour towards more sustainable consumption also promotes its environmentally friendly production. That is why we provide you with various tips that you can use to make your food consumption more sustainable, by yourself or collectively with your community. Many of them are easy to integrate into everyday life, while others require a little more effort.

What can I do?

Quick & Go activities

  • Do not waste food. Try to use everything you buy and not let anything go bad. With a weekly meal plan, you waste less food. This way you can keep track of what food you have bought and for what purpose and even save money. With many foods, the best-before date does not automatically mean that it will go bad that day. Look at it, smell it and taste it. Often you can eat the products for a few days longer.
  • Avoid plastic when shopping. You can bring your containers and shopping bags and save on packaging when shopping. In more and more European cities, there are “zero waste shops”. In these, you can fill up on products such as rice and noodles, which are individually packaged in plastic in regular shopping markets, in the desired quantity. Maybe there is such a packaging-free shop not far away. More information about zero waste shops can be found here.
  • When shopping, look for the animal welfare label. If you don’t want to give up fish and meat, you can make sure that your shopping complies with certain standards of animal husbandry and slaughtering that are good for the animal and the environment. There is an animal welfare label also at European level. You can find more information about it here.

Deep but swift activities

  • Buy, if possible, regional, seasonal, and organic food. This is not only good for the environment but also makes for better taste. The seasonal calendar supports you with the products that grow in your area at the respective time of year.
  • Follow a vegetarian diet. If you don’t want to or can’t change your diet completely, try to go vegetarian a few days a week and avoid meat and fish. You can find inspiration for vegetarian recipes here.

The hardest, the best activities

  • Consume mainly food that is produced in your country in its respective season. Many fruits, for example, are only available in summer. Preserve them (e.g. by freezing or drying) and consume this surplus production in winter. Tips on preserving fruit can be found here.
  • Follow a vegan diet. If you don’t want to change your diet completely, try to avoid each kind of animal products for at least a few days per week.. Here you can find tips and inspiration for vegan recipes.

What can I do with my community?

Quick & Go activities

  • Buy organic vegetables from the region from organic providers.
  • Find out about weekly markets in your area. These markets often offer regional and seasonal products. Meet friends and browse together.

Deep but swift activities

  • Support initiatives that call for more organic farming.
  • Find out about lectures or excursions providing knowledge about agriculture and food consumption. 

The hardest, the best activities

  • Maybe you or someone among your friends or relatives has a garden area and is ready to share? Together you can grow and harvest your vegetables and fruit there.
  • Initiate a community project in cooperation with your municipality or an association in which vegetables are planted that can be taken for free by people who like them.