Environmentality 5 December 2012

Dear Environmentality Listeners,

Smokey and Jaime had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Robins, Project Manager of Sustainable Table, to discuss sustainable eating and her latest book, Seasonal Regional.

The Sustainable Table is a non-for-profit organisation that aims to help understand how people impact significantly on the environment simply through their food choices.  In fact, 60% of our eco footprint in Australia relates to our choices about food.

As Sarah shared with listeners, it is easy for people to miss the larger environmental impact around food production.  For example, the transport, storage and packaging of food all have an impact on the environment to varying degrees. In particular, a large part of our eco footprint is largely connected to eating meat products, which utilises a large amount of our natural resources in animal feed, water and land.

Image Courtesy of Sustainable Table

Eating locally produced, in-season, organic and/or biodynamic products, all help to reduce our environmental footprint, and eating this way is actually healthier for people too!  If you are a meat eater, choose free-range and grass fed meats from ethical meat suppliers.  Also, demand and choose sustainable seafood and fish (a guide can be found here: www.sustainableseafood.org.au).

As Jaime said, choosing to eat sustainably reflects the 'environmentality way'... namely a small change in our behaviour can be better for the world and environment, but also better for your life!

In Australia, the 'Meat Free Monday' campaign was recently launched.  It will help people to consider where they are sourcing their meat and seafood from, and reflect on the environmental  impact of their food consumption choices.

Sarah Robin's book Seasonal Regional has references to 69 food producers in Victoria, featuring plenty of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes, helping to inspire sustainable culinary creations.  A second edition of Sarah Robin's first book The Sustainable Table is also available for purchase, with proceeds helping to fund Sustainable Table projects.   Either of these fantastic books would make great Christmas gifts!

You can find these books and more information about the organisation at: www.sustainabletable.org.au.   Thankyou to Sarah for speaking on Environmentality 98.9 FM.  If you missed the show a podcast will be available shortly.

The following excellent tunes were played:
   - Tricky - Black Steel (Been Caught Steeling Mix)
   - David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes (guest choice!)
   - Derwent River Star - Paradise Motel
   - Rialto - Monday Morning 5.19