Education

About | Education | Team

What do we consider to be “sustainable food”?

NOM^3 approaches the complex idea of sustainability in the following ways:

1. Focusing on vegetarian or vegan options
   Livestock are responsible for 18% of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together. Raising animals for food requires lots more land and water than growing crops. For example a pound of potatoes takes 99.6% less water to produce than a pound of beef and it takes 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef.
2. Focusing on local ingredients
   The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture reports that the average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1,500 miles to get there. Buying locally-produced food eliminates the need for all that fuel-guzzling transportation. Farmers who sell direct to local consumers need not give priority to packing, shipping, and shelf life issues and can instead select, grow, and harvest crops to ensure peak qualities of freshness, nutrition, and taste. Eating local also means eating seasonally; a practice much in tune with Mother Nature.
3. Focusing on organic ingredients
   Science tells us that organic foods have higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients than conventional foods. Organic foods are produced using fewer chemicals and less energy. Farming organically also helps to preserve water, air, and soil quality.