Hello! So far, we’ve looked at two foods that have more to them than meets the eye, in terms of their environmental story. It got me thinking about how all foods have dimensions that are rarely considered by consumers. I did a quick survey of 42 people in total, age range of 19-24. Respondents were from a variety of faculties in NUS, since I sent it to a group consisting of people from many courses.
Looking at the results, “practical” reasons are the most influential factor in how my respondents decide what to eat. This is unsurprising; in our busy lives, we have to accomodate many things around our priorities, like work or other responsibilities. Considering the environmental impacts of their food may not come naturally if it isn’t something one is passionate or knowledgable about, so to do so requires extra effort. This adds to the inertia in changing eating habits and decisions.
Perhaps another thing that makes it hard to start considering the environment is the perception of how hard it is to eat environmentally consciously. I asked about the affordability and degree of choice one has to eat sustainably.
Based on the survey, people generally find “environmentally friendly” eating expensive and difficult in Singapore due to a lack of choice. Whether this is the cause of not considering the environmental impacts of food or vice versa, I am still not sure.
I specifically said “environmentally conscious” and “friendly” in the survey rather than giving specific examples of what I meant, so the respondents can interpret it in their own way. There are many ways to see sustainable eating and I don’t think there’s one “diet” or “solution”. Of course there are some eating decisions that are clearly less damaging for the environment, like eating less red meat, but when the damage is so invisible or hidden from the consumer, who are we to judge those who simply lack the information or capacity to weigh every consequence of a decision?
Until I started reading more, I never considered the environmental impact of eating frog legs because I didnt even know about the particular fungus affecting amphibians, much less how it was linked to human consumption! It is difficult to dig deep into every single dish we eat, and how far to dig is another issue altogether. Like many things in life, food is rarely 100% unproblematic. We can only try to learn, and come to our own decisions we deem are the best.
Hi Anna, what an interesting post! Admittedly, I’m guilty of the cycle of behaviour you mentioned when it comes to seeking out food, and sometimes it’s really hard to eat more sustainably when your family members don’t agree to eating more sustainable foods. Do you think there is a way we can encourage people to eat more sustainably and be more aware of the food they consume?
Hey Sarah-Ann!
I completely agree it’s hard to eat sustainably, especially when it’s easier to go with the flow :0. I think the most obvious solution is to educate people on the importance of eating sustainably. This is already done, I feel, in Sg like how the 30 by 30 initiative is advertised to the public and how much emphasis there is to eat healthily (which could in turn encourage a smaller carbon footprint)! But even with this knowledge, what is important is the motivation of the individual to change some of they decisions. If people become more passionate about the environment or are more invested in maintaining their health, I’m sure we can see change :).
– Anna