'Sustainability' is a hot topic and how it applies to food is still evolving. The term sustainability is used in connection with production of foods and beverages, as with many other products, and it is also used in connection with environmental awareness on the part of the food industry and consumers. In food production, sustainability can refer to the availability of healthy, nutritious, safe foods to support the needs of consumers. It also refers to use of less farm-level and processing inputs, such as energy, fertilizers, pesticides, and water, cycling of waste or byproduct into the soil, energy production, animal feed, or even human foods. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions, green packaging, locating production close to markets, animal welfare, water recapture and reuse, substitution of biopesticides and bio fertilizers for conventional synthetics and use of renewable construction materials are among other aspects considered to be associated with sustainable food production. This presentation will explore the scientific basis for some of these concepts, focusing on health and safety, water use, energy conservation and bioenergy, organic production, and biopesticides, using the published literature and information from food-related industries as a guide. It will also pose questions which future research might address in developing sustainable food production practices, including the nexus of energy, water, and food in the future.

Sustainability in food production: The role of peer-reviewed science

248th National Meeting (2014)

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