Sustainable resolution

Looking for a new year's resolution? How about aiming for sustainable consumption?

A handy guide to sustainable food has been published on Sustain's website. It's a term that gets bandied around a lot, so it's good to have a working (and workable) definition, which goes something like this:

1. Buy local, seasonally available ingredients as standard.
2. Buy food from farming systems that minimise harm to the environment, such as certified organic.
3. Reduce the amount of foods of animal origin (meat, dairy products and eggs) eaten and eat meals rich in fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholegrains and nuts.
4. Stop buying fish species identified as most ‘at risk’ and buy fish only from sustainable sources.
5. Choose Fairtrade-certified products for foods and drinks imported from poorer countries
6. Avoid bottled water and instead drink plain or filtered tap water.
7. Protect your and your family’s health and well-being by making sure your meals are made up of generous portions of vegetables, fruit and starchy staples.