Go green and local | Go green and local | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/Go%20Green%20And%20Local%20Header.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | <div class="ExternalClassE463D8964EA24577978D6FA3ACEA237D"><p>Green and local is the way to go, wherever possible. It helps our planet and helps builds a sustainable city of the future, where everyone can have enough food and energy. </p>
</div> | <h2 class="sectHeading">Why? It’s simple</h2><p>Food that has to travel further to reach our city shops, or that is not produced using newer resources and methods, can negatively affect our planet and health. Travel and farming releases carbon dioxide (C02), one of the most common greenhouse gases, into the air. Greenhouse gases are the major cause of climate change and global warming, both of which are already seriously affecting agriculture and life on earth.</p><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border">
<i class="info toptip"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Top tip</h4><p>If you are interested in what green living can do for your business and our economy, please see our section on
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Work%20and%20business/Greener-business/Cape-towns-green-future/Become-a-green-supplier">green procurement.</a></p></div></div><h2 class="sectHeading">Five ways that food production affects the environment</h2><p>We should all know about how our food is made so we can make better choices about how we eat. Food production is responsible for an estimated 20% of the world’s energy consumption and has a big cost on our environment.</p><ul><li>Most food production – growing, harvesting, transporting, processing, packaging, storing and cooking – uses electricity and not renewable methods, leading to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.</li><li>Food production uses a huge amount of water. Cape Town, like much of South Africa, is in a drought crisis.</li><li>Packaging and leftover foods end up in landfills where they release greenhouse gases and can also leak toxins into the soil poisoning surrounding areas.</li><li>Single crops of barley, maize and wheat are grown to supply staple foods, which leads to an unnatural ecosystem, where it is difficult for bees and birds to survive.</li><li>Fertiliser from large-scale farming runs into our rivers and natural water sources, polluting them and turning them into dead zones.</li></ul><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy light-blue bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border">
<i class="info fastfact"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Fast fact</h4><p>A dead zone refers to water that is exposed to chemical fertilisers, sewage and other toxins lose oxygen; this causes the death of plants and creatures that live in the water.</p></div></div><h2 class="sectHeading">Make better food choices</h2><p>Each of us has the power to make a difference by choosing to eat more environmentally friendly foods.</p><p>
<strong>Follow these ten tips to begin eating better and more responsibly:</strong></p><ul><li>Choose fresh and whole foods over processed foods. </li><li>Enjoy local or regional food and stick to what’s in season.</li><li>Eat organic whenever possible, if you can afford it.</li><li>Try to eat in moderation.</li><li>Try to eat less meat.</li><li>Grow your own food – privately or as a community.</li><li>Support local community food gardens and urban farms.</li><li>Choose products with less packaging and either reuse packaging (e.g. Glass) or recycle (e.g. Many plastics).</li><li>Put your peels and vegetable leftovers in a compost bin.</li><li>Use electricity and water carefully when preparing and cooking your food.</li><li>Speak up. Ask cafes, canteens and restaurants where their food comes from and encourage them to buy local, healthy and environmentally friendly food.</li></ul><p>
<b>And here are the reasons why:</b></p><ul><li>Food that doesn’t have to travel far is fresher and more nutritious.</li><li>Commercially-grown fruit and vegetables are often full of poisons and pesticides.</li><li>Overeating puts strain on the body and can play a role in illnesses like type 2 diabetes and obesity.</li><li>Eating factory farmed animals is cruel; these animals often live in terrible conditions and are given hormones and antibiotics which you consume.</li><li>Vegetable gardens can help to save money, create a good food supply and bring people together.</li><li>Going local gives power to small-scale farmers and can help to create strong local economies.</li><li>Re-using packaging can save you money.</li><li>Using your own compost, you can make healthy soil to grow your own vegetables.</li><li>Saving energy and water also saves you money.</li><li>Making better choices gives us more power as consumers!</li></ul><h2 class="sectHeading">Learn to buy responsibly</h2><p>Buying responsibly means doing the best we can to make food choices that are good for us and the planet. Here are some ways you can do your bit:</p><p>
<b>Buy badger-friendly honey</b> – this is harvested without harming the near-threatened honey badger.</p><p>
<b>Buy free-range meat and chicken</b>
<strong>whenever possible</strong> – these animals tend to live in better conditions than those in big farming practices and they are fed less hormones and antibiotics.</p><p>
<b>Buy wine from estates that participate in the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI)</b> – they have committed to sustainable wine production to try and conserve the
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Explore%20and%20enjoy/Nature-and-outdoors/Our-precious-biodiversity/Our-floral-kingdom">Cape Floral Kingdom</a>. Download a
<a href="https://www.capetowngreenmap.co.za/print-maps" target="_blank">Green Wine Route Map<i class="icon link-external"></i></a> from Cape Town Green Map.</p><p>
<b>Buy fish that is harvested sustainably</b> – SMS the name of the fish to SASSI’s Fish SMS on
<em>
<a>079 499 8795</a></em> for an instant reply on whether the fish is harvested sustainably or not.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Find local food suppliers</h2><p>Find a supplier who sells what you like and make buying more responsibly easier for you to manage.</p><p>
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Local%20and%20communities/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Food%20gardens">See a list of Cape Town's local community food gardens</a>.</p>
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<h2 class="sectHeading">More information and tips</h2></span>
<p>Find great tips on green support around the city on the
<a href="https://www.capetowngreenmap.co.za/" target="_blank">Cape Town Green Map<i class="icon link-external"></i></a>. </p><p>Download our <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/CCT_Smart_Living_Handbook.pdf" target="_blank"> Smart Living Handbook</a> for tips and advice, as well as our
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/Smart%20Eating_2_Learners_Booklet_2010-06.pdf" target="_blank">Smart Eating Handbook</a> for detailed information and tools on how to eat more sustainably and more healthily. <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Greener-living/Why-go-green/smart-living" target="_blank">Find more Smart Living resources</a>.<br></p>
| | GP0|#26ead6c8-7cd0-4612-90d6-ed273edde565;L0|#026ead6c8-7cd0-4612-90d6-ed273edde565|Go green and local;GTSet|#ef3a64a2-d764-44bc-9d69-3a63d3fadea1;GPP|#630f1ce3-4d76-4447-85fb-0afef5f00698;GPP|#39d66b11-2134-4df5-8360-0bc5e66e8f4f;GPP|#245ec7aa-a528-4cd3-bcac-597c292db711;GP0|#a1faf51e-0a16-4450-82f5-639bf29d9d74;L0|#0a1faf51e-0a16-4450-82f5-639bf29d9d74|Go green and local;GPP|#ad6fe10c-0568-48ce-aae2-b58e1ca7d8a5;GPP|#4a553a67-2cba-4911-9745-a724e38b645a;GPP|#af370586-9ba3-404a-9d6e-02066ca42752 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | By making “greener” food choices, we can lower our carbon footprint and contribute to the health of our planet. | 0 |