FOOD AND SOCIETY 
Local, sustainable farming supports our health, our economy, and our cultural heritage
Our food choices are important and complex. Not only do our choices affect us as individuals, helping to shape our personal health and well-being, but our choices also impact our collective environmental and societal health and well-being, influencing the use of resources such as water and oil and social issues like marketing and labor.
But the broader implications of our food choices often remain hidden from view, disguised by colorful packaging and prices that don’t reflect the true cost of food. Consider, for example, the following:
- Currently, 64.5% of U.S. adults (age 20 years and older) are overweight and 30.5% are obese. Obesity increases the risk of illness from about 30 serious medical conditions (American Obesity Association)
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that by 2000, 81% of the money consumers spend on food went to marketing costs with the remaining 19% going as gross pay to the farmer. This is compared to 70% in 1980, with 30% going as gross pay to the farmers (Elitzak, "Food Marketing Costs at a Glance, September-December 2001." USDA's Economic Research Service).
By considering the impacts of our food choices on individual, environmental, and social health, we gain a clearer picture of the complexities and implications inherent in making food choices. We also discover the ability we have as individuals and communities to shape a food system that supports a broad vision of health and values encompassing not only our individual well-being, but also the health and welfare of others and our environment.
What can you do?
Fortunately, there are lots of ways to support a healthier food system! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Buy local! When you buy locally grown and produced foods, you help more farms stay in business, support the local economy, preserve open spaces, and reduce packaging. You can even buy organic produce on campus July - October at the UNH Organic Garden Club Farm Stand!
- Get involved! Join (or start!) a local organization committed to creating sustainable food communities. This could be a gardening society, a Slow Food Convivium, a community garden project, or UNH's very own Organic Garden Club!
- Learn more! There are lots of great books and websites devoted to creating a more sustainable food system. Check out our list of links to get started!
