While there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of sustainable food the upcoming 2013 North American Sustainability Summit right after that Winter Fancy Food Show is certain to offer lots of food for thought including thoughts of concern. As noted in a recent release from the summit’s producer, the Organic Monitor, consumers seeking green products now have to wade through more labels than the Housewives of Orange County have in their living room sized closets. Yet while trying to redress this confusion is key, the summit offers far more vital discussions than how to keep ahead of your faux green competitors
More important issues, at least to those with a global vision (if not your VP of Marketing), the conference will focus on how to create a global food chain that can meet the demands of a fast rising population. Discussions will include issues of global food security and how to increase efficiency in food distribution. As noted in an Organic Monitor release about the event, the global population is expected to rise 9 billion by 2050. While increased production is the focus on many, the summit will look at how increasing efficiency and reducing food waste can help reduce world hunger.
And no this isn’t a problem limited to the developing world. The Organic Monitor reports that “48 million Americans live in households that struggle to feed themselves,” while about one-third of all food produced for human consumption goes to waste with the majority heading to the landfill.
The conference has an all-star lineup including executives from the United Nation’s Food & Agriculture Organization, Whole Foods, Publix, Unified Grocers, The Food Waste Reduction Alliance and others. It’s a perfect antidote to any indigestion (both physical and spiritual) that the Fancy Food Show might bring on.