Ingredients for a sustainable food deal

On Sustainable Tuesday (September 5th, 2023), the government received the sustainable briefcase filled with initiatives for a greener future. Ruud Zanders, co-founder of both poultry company Kipster and the Caring Farmers Foundation, delivered his Sustainable Throne Speech. "The notion that producing and consuming within the earth's capacity would be financially too costly can never be the reason to then produce and consume beyond the earth's capacity." Below is a summary of his Sustainable Throne Speech. Read the entire speech (in Dutch) as delivered by Zanders here.

'We can certainly adopt an ecologically responsible diet.'

In today's society, a significant portion of our fertile farmland is used to feed livestock, while people go malnourished. This distribution is inefficient and, morally speaking, questionable. Ideally, livestock should be fed with waste streams, and grazing animals should graze on infertile lands. The principles of circular agriculture suggest a transformation where "worthless" input is converted into human food, though the question remains whether meat consumption is morally defensible.

Many consumers are unaware of the origins of their food and the implications of their choices. Initiatives like Herenboeren and CSA’s can bridge this gap, strengthening the connection between producer and consumer. They emphasize the importance of locally produced, sustainable food. It's noteworthy that 80% of products in supermarkets do not meet healthy dietary guidelines, indicating an urgent need for change.

Although substantial resources are being invested in transitioning to sustainable food production, this shift might ultimately be cost-saving, especially considering the broader benefits for the climate and health. Eating healthier could result in healthcare savings. For genuine progress, various measures are required, such as education on sustainable food, price reforms, and encouraging policy measures. The idea that sustainability is unaffordable should be dismissed.

Should our food eventually become financially costlier, that becomes a social and political issue that also needs resolution. We leave no one behind. But the idea that producing and consuming within the earth's capacity would be financially too costly can never be the justification for producing and consuming beyond the earth's capacity.

Read the entire speech (in Dutch) as delivered by Zanders here.