Sustainable nutrition without thinking | Julian Däster | TEDxHWZ

Summary

The speaker recounts her childhood growing up on an organic farm, being surrounded by fresh, sustainable food but taking it for granted. She argues that our industrialized food system is environmentally damaging and pushes for eating local, seasonal produce. Through examples like community supported agriculture, she shows how pre-selecting and directly connecting consumers to local farms can nudge people toward more sustainable diets. She concludes that consumers have power through their purchases to drive demand for small-scale, organic farms over industrial agriculture and leave future generations a healthy planet.

Takeaways

• 😱 Industrial agriculture and our food system have strongly negative impacts on the environment
• 😢 Only 6% of available agricultural land is used to grow fruits and vegetables
• 🍖 Our eating habits, especially high meat consumption, prevent an agricultural turnaround
• 🥗 Eating seasonal and local is key to sustainable nutrition
• 😕 Most food decisions in supermarkets are intuitive and impulsive
• 😐 Context influences our decisions - supermarkets could nudge us towards sustainability
• 🛒 Community supported agriculture simplifies choices and nudges sustainable consumption
• 😊 Cooperative producers and consumers enables organic, diverse agriculture
• 🌿 In South Korea, Hansalim cooperative feeds 1.5 million people sustainably
• 😀 As consumers, we have the power to drive the market towards sustainable local agriculture

Q & A

What was the speaker's childhood environment like in terms of access to fresh food?

The speaker grew up on an organic farm situated in the middle of large vegetable fields, so she had very easy access to ultra-fresh vegetables and salad ingredients.

How much of the available agricultural land is used for growing fruits and vegetables versus animal farming?

Only 6% of the available land is used for growing fruits and vegetables, while about two-thirds is used for animal farming.

What are two negative impacts of our current food system and industrial agriculture?

Two negative impacts are: 1) Damage to soil, water and biodiversity, and 2) Inefficient use of available agricultural land.

How did the speaker start appreciating sustainable agriculture more as an adult?

She started appreciating it more when her dad gifted her a basket of fresh seasonal vegetables for Christmas from his community supported agriculture co-op.

What is community-supported agriculture and how does it benefit producers and consumers?

It's a cooperative model where consumers pay upfront for a 'subscription' to receive regular baskets of seasonal produce, benefitting consumers with fresh food and producers by ensuring demand.

What can supermarkets do to nudge consumers towards more sustainable choices?

Simple ideas like clear labelling on seasonality and providing feedback on ecological footprint while shopping can positively influence consumer behavior.

How does the weekly vegetable basket subscription help simplify the speaker's lifestyle?

The pre-selected basket of seasonal vegetables cuts down on food choices she has to make and variety helps her discover new recipes.

How widespread are community-supported agriculture models globally?

There are over 1,500 such community farms in the U.S. alone. South Korea has thousands feeding 1.5 million people and a quarter of Japan's population participates.

What did Hansalim, the large South Korean sustainable produce organization, focus on?

The main focus was producers taking responsibility for consumers' wellbeing and consumers taking responsibility for producers' livelihoods.

What specific call to action does the speaker make to the audience?

She asks listeners to appreciate food origin more, search online for local producers to connect with, and support local small-scale sustainable farms.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Growing up on an organic farm

The author grew up on an organic farm surrounded by fresh vegetables. She played in the fields as a child and was able to eat the freshest produce, but took years to appreciate the concept of sustainable agriculture.

05:01

😕 The unsustainability of current food systems

Our current food system and eating habits negatively impact the environment and prevent agricultural sustainability. People lack willingness to eat sustainably due to valuing individual freedom over long-term climate goals.

10:02

😃 Community supported agriculture as a solution

The author joined a community supported agriculture program from her father which provides weekly, seasonal baskets of produce. This simplified and nudged her toward sustainable consumption without thinking about it.

Keywords

💡sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture refers to farming practices that are environmentally friendly and conserve natural resources for future generations. In the video, the speaker's father pioneered sustainable agriculture on their farm 40 years ago by growing organic produce without chemicals. This is presented as an ideal model for agriculture compared to current industrial practices.

💡industrial agriculture

Industrial agriculture refers to large-scale, chemical-intensive farming optimized for maximum yields and profits. The video criticizes industrial agriculture for negatively impacting soil, water, biodiversity and driving climate change. It accounts for 2/3 of land used for farming worldwide.

💡community-supported agriculture

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) connects local farmers directly with consumers who pay a subscription for weekly deliveries of seasonal produce. This model is presented as an alternative to industrial agriculture, ensuring stable revenue for farmers and sustainable, local food for consumers.

💡seasonal produce

Seasonal produce refers to fruits and vegetables grown locally during their natural growing season. The video advocates eating seasonal produce as a way to support sustainability, noting that consumers often lack awareness of when produce is in season.

💡nudges

Nudges are small changes to people's environments or contexts that influence their decision-making. As illustrated through the Chicago road lines example, nudges can encourage more sustainable behaviors without limiting individual freedom.

💡food waste

Food waste refers to edible food discarded or left to spoil. Community-supported agriculture helps reduce food waste since consumers get what is available seasonally rather than retailers overstocking.

💡organic

Organic refers to foods produced without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified ingredients. The video presents organic food as better for the environment and consumer health but currently more expensive than conventionally grown food.

💡local food

Local food refers to produce grown near consumers. The video advocates local food as more sustainable by reducing transport emissions and connecting consumers to producers.

💡consumer power

Consumer power means consumers' ability to drive changes in the food system by choosing more ethical and sustainable products. The video argues conscious consumer habits can incentivize a shift away from industrial agriculture.

💡climate change

Climate change refers to human-caused global warming trends due to activities like fossil fuel emissions. The video identifies current industrial agriculture practices as a major contributor to climate change.

Highlights

Grew up on an organic farm with access to fresh, sustainable produce

Took years to appreciate the luxury and sustainability of that childhood access to food

Food system impacts cause 30% of ecological damage in Switzerland - it's the biggest driver

Only 6% of available farmland used for fruits and vegetables - most used for animal farming

Eating seasonal, local produce is key to sustainability but we've lost touch with seasonality

Supermarkets nudges lead to impulsive, unsustainable choices - 1/3 promotions not seasonal

Small environmental features can nudge people towards more sustainable behaviors

Got a vegetable basket gift from dad - reconnected me to community supported agriculture

Cooperative model - consumers pay upfront, get weekly seasonal baskets, share risks and rewards

Weekly baskets nudge me toward varied, sustainable choices - eating what I get

70+ similar cooperative farms now in Switzerland, over 1500 in the US

In South Korea, Hansalim co-op feeds 1.5 million sustainably - focus on cooperation over competition

In Japan, a quarter of population belongs to local consumer-producer initiatives

We need to invest in and connect with local, sustainable agriculture

As consumers we can drive the market toward sustainability through our choices

Transcripts

[Applause]

when i was a child

i never thought about food

despite being surrounded by food my

whole childhood our house

was situated in the middle of large

fields of vegetables

consisting of salads cucumbers tomatoes

and a lot more

friends from school always visited me

because there was so much to explore in

the surrounding

we observed the chicken

or the cows which we knew by name

or played hide and seek in the

cornfields

and when we were hungry

my father here on his tractor with my

brother and me always pulled up some

fresh carrots or radishes from the

ground we cleaned them with our jeans

and ate them right away

i grew up

on an organic farm

and it was amazing it was very natural

to get the freshest vegetables the best

salad you could ever imagine

but it took me years to appreciate the

great concept of sustainable agriculture

that my father had built up with a group

of pioneers 40 years ago

and to appreciate

or to realize the true luxury of that

time

that i ate what i got

sustainably

without thinking

it's a fact sustainable nutrition is key

to our environment

to see why let's look look at the take a

look at the current situation

our food system and industrial

agriculture

have strong negative impacts on soil

water and biodiversity

in switzerland

food-related impacts are adding up to

almost 30 percent of the ecological

damage

it's actually the biggest driver

and not only that

we don't make much productive use of the

available land

imagine

that worldwide an area the size of one

football field is available per

inhabitant for the production of food

of this

we only use a small part to grow fruits

and vegetables

only six percent

the largest part of the area about

two-thirds is used for animal farming

and the rest

is used for the production of grains

of which a large part is again

fed to animals

the way we use agricultural resources

and our eating habits

are preventing an agricultural

turnaround

so when it comes to tackling this crisis

food

is the missing link that can make or

break progress

besides reducing our meat consumption

eating seasonal and local vegetables and

fruit

can and would be a driver of

sustainability

but

do we even know these days when a fruit

or vegetable is seasonal or not

or when was the last time you bought

some eggplants or tomatoes

that are actually only in season between

june and october

despite it being so important to protect

our environment there is still a lack of

willingness to eat sustainably

and i get it it's hard to sacrifice

individual freedom for a long-term goal

like tackling climate change when we

often don't immediately see or feel the

consequences

isn't it strange that we would rather

jump into a raging river to save one

person's life than slightly change our

habits to save the livelihood of entire

generations

don't get me wrong habits can be great

they often simplify our lives

we can switch to autopilot mode where we

don't have to constantly evaluate our

decisions

in this mode however we are strongly

influenced by context and might

forget about our intentions

in the supermarket for example most

food-related decisions tend to be

intuitive and even impulsive

and even with my childhood experience on

the farm i experienced this supermarket

impulsiveness when i moved to study in

the city

i observed myself eating cucumbers

almost all year round and let price and

convenience steer my dietary plan

granted making the right decisions in a

non-supportive context like the ordinary

supermarket is hard

look at the significant higher prices of

organic food

or the beautiful exotic fruits from

overseas that are usually placed at the

entrance

did you know that up to every third

vegetable of fruit in promotion is not

seasonal

fortunately context can also have a

positive effect on people's behavior

let me show you an example a professor

once showed us during my psychological

studies and what really impacted my view

on human behavior

it's from a book by richard thaler and

from a other everyday situation

driving a car

this black and white picture shows a

bird's eye view of the lakeshore drive

it's a beautiful road in chicago

there is a dangerous s-curve

right downtown where people were

constantly losing control and lots of

deadly accidents were happening

so the city has painted white lines on

the road

and as you drive up to the most

dangerous part of the curve the lines

get closer together

which gives you the illusion that you're

speeding up

so you hit the brakes and you slow down

you've been nudged

psychological notches are small features

in the environment that catch our

intentions and influence our behavior

people are not generally bad but we are

social beings that can be positively or

negatively influenced by context

taking this chicago example to the

supermarket we could also be nudged to

its more sustainable consumption

for example by having simple and clear

labels that could give you the

information about seasonality

or by an immediate feedback on our

ecological footprint

similar to what chicago car drivers get

for their speed

but let's be realistic until the

supermarket environment changes to a

more supportive context

sustainable product will still often be

second choice

at least

that's how it was for me

until christmas

four years ago

when i was notched

by this basket of vegetables

as a christmas gift from my father

yes unfortunately not a playstation but

for me it was more than just a basket of

vegetables

it turned out to be the perfect notch to

start benefiting again from my father's

idea of sustainable farming

not as a sun

as a client

my father joined a group of pioneers in

1981 when they built the first concept

of community-supported agriculture

as a cooperative of producers and

consumers they started as two gardeners

growing vegetables for 80 families

the farm is close to the city

and vegetables aren't sold via

distributor but directly to the

cooperative members who invest in a

subscription they pay in advance

like you know it from newspaper

subscription

in return members get weekly a

surprising seasonal basket they can

collect from deposits across the city

and sometimes there is more sometimes

less

depending on the season

so producers and consumers take

responsibility

this way organic diverse agriculture is

possible without the risk of missing

demand of food waste

and over the past years the cooperative

has grown to 40 employees and 4 000

clients

it's a win-win-win

for the producers for the environment

for the consumers

as a loyal client to the subscription

i've been able to eat in a more varied

fashion again

and find my way back to tasty and

ecological produce

every week

i receive a basket

which defines my dietary plan

and that's the lesson i learned thanks

to community supported agriculture

if you want to change and consume more

sustainable food

it's not about eating what we want

but eating what we get

it's the pre-selection

of seasonal products

that simplifies my choices

and nudges me to more sustainable

consumption

and

it doesn't limit me

in fact it helps me eat more diversely

i find new recipes for the vegetables

that are in season i discover all

varieties are the colors and tastes i

never had tried before

i get excited by the first three

strawberries ripe tomatoes and crisp

salad of the season

and a nice side effect of eating more

plant-based is that i eat a lot less

meat

not only for the environment also for my

purse

also because of less food waste it puts

the price of healthy and pesticide-free

products

into perspective

i finally appreciate my food again

when i go to the supermarket to complete

my shopping list the basket helps my

shopping to be more mindful

and gives me a supportive frame

the setting of a weekly subscription of

a trusted producer

helps me eat sustainably

without thinking

by eating what i get

local and seasonal

and i'm not the only one

up to now already 70 other farms in

switzerland are community supported and

deliver the harvest directly to their

clients

in france there are more than 400 am up

as they are called there spread

throughout the country

in the u.s there are as many many as 1

500 community supported farms

but the ultimate proof that sustainable

nutrition can become a social habit with

the right environment

can be found in asia

in south korea

thousands of smallholders are organizing

an initiative called hansalim

they feed around 1.5 million people they

are reached throughout multiple

distribution cooperatives 220 organic

stores in the city and the

well-developed delivery system

hans alim is much more than a

distributor of organic and fair trade

products

the main idea is that the producer takes

responsibility for the life of the

consumer and the consumer takes

responsibility for the livelihood of the

producer

the cooperative is trying to build a

society where town and country men and

nature can coexist and develop together

most most important is the respect for

all living things from which follows the

appeal for cooperation

it's not about competition but about

community

and there's an equally impressive

example that sustainable nutrition is

not a utopia

a quarter of japan's population is

member of a tk a local producer consumer

initiative

most of them are small but with a total

of 127 million japanese you can imagine

the significance

as a child

i never thought about food

but we should all be aware of the

consequences of our behavior and how we

are affecting our planet

there are just too many of us for us to

afford anything else

if we want to leave our children and

grandchildren a healthy planet

each of us can be part of the solution

let's invest in the local agriculture

and connect with the producers

imagine a world where instead of endless

green wheat deserts or the endless farm

grasslands we would have small

sustainable farms

practicing organic agri-forestry

producing fruits vegetables chicken and

eggs

for the local community

instead of promoting industrial

agriculture with gigantic subsidies

our money should go to these farms so

that small-scale sustainable agriculture

becomes profitable again

as consumers

we have the power to drive the market to

locality and seasonality

we have it

in our hands

will you join me and make a first step

towards appreciating the origin of our

food

then start with a simple online search

for local agriculture

and you will be surprised how many

farmers nearby are happy to connect with

you

and support you in making the right

choices

online communities of local markets

subscription models and community

supported farms

are waiting for you to make the first

step

so next time

your grocery shopping

and mindlessly filling your shopping

basket

remember this basket here

it reminds us not to just eat what we

want

but to eat what we get

thank you