While we need to eat to survive, the things we eat and the way we procure and eat them do have some impact. Convenience for the consumer equals a convoluted and wildly impractical system of transporting food all over countries, and often across the earth. Add in the substantially negative health impacts of processed foods, GMO crops and the massive amounts of energy and resources wasted on packaging, and it’s clear to see why we’re pretty much fucked as a civilisation.

American environmentalist, adventurer and activist Rob Greenfield took on a trip across the States by bicycle with the intention of only eating food sourced locally, i.e the state that he was currently in. Failing that, which did happen on many occasions, he allowed himself the ‘luxury’ of dumpster diving for discarded food which is way too plentiful in developed countries. The amount we throw out is criminally disproportionate to the amount that the people of poor or war-torn regions are missing out on. But as long as we’re ok Jack, out of sight out of mind etc.

The easy way out is to just say “fuck it” and keep trotting down to the supermarket or takeaway, or make an effort to grow your own food and/or buy as much local produce as possible. Further reducing impact by limiting short car trips and utilising the good old bicycle can make a difference too, not least to your own physical health and mental wellbeing. Your kids will still have no future, but at least while they’re here they’ll have some grounded morals and solid understanding of the way things used to be.