#4 Why should I care for sustainable gastronomy?
Caring about local foods and markets means that we can help to preserve our culinary roots: the traditional crops, recipes and cultures from which these cuisines originate. It means that we are mindful of the resources that have gone into growing the food that we cherish and that we are helping to keep culinary traditions alive.
By being open to locally grown foods and eating what is in season, the buying patterns of local businesses, restaurants and hotels and shift to support the fishers and farmers.
What can I do?
- Support your farmers: Go to local food markets. By buying what’s in season from small producers or family farmers, you are supporting their livelihoods and strengthening communities.
- Try local foods in your travels: Eating local products helps to give you a better insight into the culture of a place and supports local economies.
- Keep culinary traditions alive: Culinary traditions are sustainable by nature and remind us of our ancestral roots. Try cooking recipes that use ingredients native to your region.
- Avoid food waste: be conscious to use all of your ingredients wisely and to save your leftovers. Being careful about portion size, expiration dates and reuse of meals is one of the easiest ways to save natural resources. As overweight and obesity rates soar worldwide, and deficiencies of many vitamins and minerals persist in all world regions, it is that much more important to ensure that healthy diets from sustainable food systems are available and affordable to everyone.
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