CIT Magazine

 Who doesn't love food? It's a crucial part to our existence and consequently a huge part of our daily lives.  But do you ever consider sustainability when thinking about what you're having for dinner?   Do you ever consider sustainability when you are planning your work Christmas party or your company's annual conference?  Probably not.

 It is now widely recognised that implementing sustainable practices is imperative to ensure our resources to last for future generations to come.  

You can't fail to have notices the rise in organic, Fair-trade food throughout supermarket shelves and this is denting into people's everyday lives.  But when it come to food at an event, organisers want to pull out all the stops and not least wow the guests with the food.  More often than not, sustainable food is not considered as a key aspect of any event...but could it be?

Have you ever considered that sustainable food could be your USP?

What is sustainable food? Various principles have been identifies including: local, seasonal food; food from farms where there is minimum harm being caused to the environment e.g. organic food; fish species that aren't declared 'at risk'; certified Fair-trade produce; and healthy food amongst others.

 So why should you use sustainable food sources?  Well, with the increase in public awareness of healthy living, there is public desire for food to be healthy and organic and Fair-trade produce is often noticed as providing that little bit extra.  Not only that but implementing sustainable practices more often than not has an economic benefit.  For example if you are getting local produce, it will travel a shorter distance to you, and therefore should be cheaper.  Saving money is in any event organisers interest, especially in this economic climate.

Going above and beyond what generic event organisers and caterers are doing and implementing sustainable food into your company will provide you with a USP.  Wowing your audience with your unique food experience will offer something that others are not, and will give you the edge over your competitors.  Most importantly you will be leaps and bounds ahead of your competition when it comes to organising sustainable events in the future.

So despite Eyjafjallajökull wreaking havoc throughout the European aviation industry, and much of the rest of the world, the amount of CO2 that has been saved can be looked on as a favourable outcome from this volcano’s eruption.

With so many definitions and diagrams attempting to clearly explain sustainability and sustainable development, how do we know which one is best to use?  There is no correct answer.

Sustainable development was defined by the Bruntland Commission in 1987 as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.  The report was a result of growing concern that recognised that present human activity would have a detrimental impact upon social, economic and environmental well being for the future. 

Following this report many organisations have since come up with their own definitions that outline what they believe sustainable development really means.  The British Standards Institute defines sustainable development as “an enduring, balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress”.  This definition includes the three key words that have been identified as the core areas that sustainability encompasses; environmental, economic and social.   These three 'umbrella' words often feature in many diagrams that seek to explain sustainability.  The Venn diagram is the most common of these diagrams and shows three equal spheres (social, environmental and economic) overlapping each other to create sustainability in the middle. 

What can you do next?

Research various definitions that work best for you and communicate your chosen definition to your company to use.  This will help your staff and ensure you are all on the same page when you are using your key terminology both internally and when representing your company in external meetings.