Harvesting Health: Sustainable Dietary Habits for Us and the Planet

Abstract

The United Nations approved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 as a global call to action to end hunger and poverty, safeguard the planet, and guarantee inclusion, peace, and prosperity for everyone. Due to their interconnectedness with nearly every facet of the economy, environment and society, food and agriculture play a significant role in many of the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable diets, as defined by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, are “diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Food loss and waste (FLW) threaten the sustainability of our food systems by squandering resources such as water, land, energy, labor, and capital. There are many ways in which healthier and sustainable dietary habits can be adopted. Millets have abundant health advantages and are environmentally friendly due to their minimal water and input requirements. The article discusses the environmental consequences of food waste, strategies for sustainable eating and their associated benefits while also discussing the importance of millets.