Introducing #EatForTomorrow: Building a Sustainable Future, One Plate at a Time
![The Sustainable Restaurant Association Eat For Tomorrow campaign graphic](/media/ox4p21ia/eft-blog-image.png?width=100&height=75&quality=10&rnd=133621491058070000)
From The Sustainable Restaurant Association in partnership with HSBC, the #EatForTomorrow campaign will take a deep dive into how changing our diets today can help to protect our resources for tomorrow.
By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion, requiring a staggering 5 billion metric tons of food each year to ensure no-one goes hungry. The challenge we face now is building a resilient food system for the future, finding clever, sustainable ways to increase food production in ways that don’t harm the environment or exacerbate the climate crisis.
With decisive action, there’s no doubt that we can feed our growing global population. The good news is that the world is full of creative, dedicated farmers, entrepreneurs, chefs and activists who are already busy building a food system that works in tandem with nature, considers the climate, inspires consumers and shows the way forward. Through our #EatForTomorrow campaign, The SRA will be sharing some of these incredible stories from across the globe, encouraging more people, policymakers and businesses to get on board.
The call to action
Transforming food systems is a complex task – but not an impossible one. Changing our eating habits now will play a pivotal part in this shift. To preserve the resources of tomorrow, we can effect change through what we choose to eat, where it comes from and how it's grown or sourced.
It’s time to overhaul our food systems to be more resilient and more efficient in providing nutrition and calories directly to people; and to do this in ways that will also tackle our climate and biodiversity crises. We must find new ways to marry traditional knowledge with emerging technologies, transforming our agricultural systems to align with a smart, future-focused and climate-positive model for how we feed the world.
The good news is that humanity has a long history of finding creative solutions to tough problems. The world is full of passionate, dedicated farmers, entrepreneurs, chefs and activists who are already busy building a food system that works in tandem with nature, considers the climate, inspires consumers and shows the way forward. Through our #EatForTomorrow campaign, we’re sharing some of these incredible stories from across the globe, encouraging more people, policymakers and businesses to get on board.
Why does this matter for restaurants?
While we can all contribute to a better food future through our individual food choices, the hospitality industry can play a powerful role in bringing this movement to the mainstream. The relationship between shifting consumer diets and action from the hospitality industry is symbiotic and mutually influential. Restaurants have the ability to steer consumer choices, redefining how we eat today to create a better tomorrow for people and planet. Our menus should act as culinary guiding lights, leading customers towards climate-friendly dining and making it easy, accessible, appealing and affordable for everyone to #EatForTomorrow.
#EatForTomorrow
So how can we eat differently today to build a better tomorrow? The #EatForTomorrow campaign will focus on four key areas, exploring how the restaurant industry can respond to each issue. Throughout the campaign, we’ll share stories that inspire and engage, with the ultimate goal of motivating diners to shift their food choices.
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A better future for farms: How can we feed a growing population while also safeguarding and nourishing the natural environment?
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We’ll be taking a closer look at regenerative farming, a practice that puts nature first by mimicking natural cycles, building healthy soil, restoring biodiversity and sequestering carbon. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimates that greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture could be 6% lower each year by 2030 if even one-fifth of farmers adopted “climate-smart” agriculture such as regenerative farming.
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Urban farming is a clever approach that brings food production into cities. Not only does this reduce food miles and transportation costs, but it can also improve local air quality, make better use of urban space and bring economic and social benefits to the surrounding communities.
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We’re also exploring vertical farming, an efficient agricultural solution increasingly being adopted in urban environments. Requiring little in the way of land and water, it’s also eco-friendly, doesn't require pesticides and can run on renewable energy.
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Preserving biodiversity: How can we change what we eat to protect our planet’s natural biodiversity and increase diversity in the foods available to us?
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Since 1900, 75% of the genetic plant diversity in agriculture has been lost. Currently, around three-quarters of the world's food comes from just 12 plants and five animal species. Increasing the diversity in our diets – especially when it comes to the plants we eat – can play a significant role in preserving biodiversity, helping to keep native species of animals and crops in existence. Eating a wider variety of foods is also beneficial to our health.
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We’ll be examining ways to preserve biodiversity, including seed saving, cultivating ancient grains, protecting heritage breeds and preserving indigenous food practices.
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We’ll do a deep dive into why ancient grains like millets and salicornia play an especially important role as drought-resistant crops in countries like the UAE.
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Eating more plants: Why do we need to shift to a plant-centric diet in order to protect our future?
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Reducing meat consumption is a powerful way to address the climate crisis, with enormous reductions in individual climate impact. In fact, lower meat diets carry approximately half the carbon, water pollution and land use impact of those high in meat.
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We’ll be explaining why diets low in meat are better for both people and planet, including the significant differences in environmental impact between these and high-meat dietary patterns.
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We’ll be highlighting the important role that foods like legumes, pulses and mushrooms can play in the diet of the future as well as discussing the world of plant-based proteins and cultivated meat.
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This has implications for public health, too: we’ll be showing how eating a wider range of plant foods can be hugely beneficial for our gut microbiomes and overall wellbeing.
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Sourcing sustainable seafood: How can we eat seafood that does not put the future of our oceans in peril?
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The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that 85% of marine fish stocks are either fully exploited or overfished. Steering away from the ‘Big Five’ – cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns – and focusing on enjoying less common species of fish and shellfish can help protect marine stocks and maintain biodiversity in our oceans.
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Supporting sustainable fisheries helps us appreciate the diversity of fish in our oceans, protect endangered species and support local fishing communities.
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We'll explore sustainable fishing practices, including what restaurants should consider when sourcing seafood and how to best encourage diners to consume a wider variety of wild-caught fish and seafood.
How the Food Made Good Standard supports the diet of tomorrow
The only global sustainability accreditation designed specifically for hospitality and foodservice businesses, the Food Made Good Standard from The Sustainable Restaurant Association aims to encourage, support and recognise sustainability practices across the industry worldwide.
Because we take a big-picture, holistic view of what sustainability should mean for the F&B industry, the Food Made Good Framework is already leading the way towards the diet of the future, rewarding restaurants for dishing up more plants and better quality meat, sourcing ingredients with sustainability in mind, prioritising producers that use responsible agricultural practices, supporting farmers and fishers, working towards zero food waste and designing dishes and menus that nourish both people and planet.
Make sure you’re following our social channels and the #EatForTomorrow hashtag to catch all of the incredible stories we’ll be sharing over the next few months.
Powered by HSBC – big thanks for empowering us to make a real impact in the world of food and hospitality! With HSBC's support, we're driving positive change through sustainability and reaching a wider audience with our message.