With increasing wildfires and storms brought on by climate change, it’s little wonder that 67% of Americans report feeling the weight of climate anxiety.

You may be wondering how a single person can contribute to a healthier planet. Even the most minor changes to your daily habits can play an essential role in making improvements. For example, modifying how you grocery shop can influence the foods you see on shelves and manufacturing methods.

If you’re looking for a way to get more involved in the fight against climate change, consider shopping for organic and sustainably sourced foods. Food is considered sustainable when its production is good for the environment, the workers and the consumers, sometimes aligning with organic and local farming. While the concept of sustainable food can be complex, there are simple ways you can make better choices at the grocery store.

Why You Should Buy Sustainable Food

Even though more people are starting to opt for organic foods, grocery stores still lean towards an inorganic food market. Regardless, there are several reasons why you should buy more sustainable food, including:

Organic food is safer. Pesticides like herbicides and insecticides can be poisonous. Studies show severe implications for humans, such as cancer, respiratory issues, nausea, diarrhea, neurological and mental health problems, and an increased risk of Parkinson’s.
Water will be cleaner. Using pesticides in unsustainable farming practices can contaminate drinking water by infiltrating groundwater and surface water systems.
Animals are better protected. While organic livestock farming isn’t perfect, buying meat products with green or dark green labels is the best way to ensure animals receive adequate care.
Organic farming reduces GHG emissions. From decreased farm operations to greater soil sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are significantly lower than with inorganic agricultural systems.

Although higher prices of sustainable food products have hindered organic sales, steeper prices are due to costlier production, increased labor inputs, environmental protection, and enhanced animal welfare. The more people support buying quality organic foods, the more it demonstrates a higher demand and competitive prices.

Five Tips for Sustainable Grocery Shopping

Now that you understand how buying organic groceries helps the environment, you can do something about it. If you’re unsure where to begin, here are four tips for shopping more sustainably.

1) Shop Locally Grown Food

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 29% of GHG emissions in the United States came from the transportation sector in 2019. Typically, food outside your region is transported by boat, airplane, or other vehicle. When you shop locally grown foods, you help cut GHG emissions burned in transportation.

However, buying locally grown products isn’t just good for reducing food transportation emissions. Doing so helps local farmers, as well. You may consider buying sustainable produce at a farmer’s market for affordable fruits and vegetables grown in your area.

Shopping at farmers markets is also a good opportunity to learn more about where your food comes from. Some of your local farmers might still use pesticides or other harmful techniques, so it’s important to do research on local companies. While browsing at the farmers market, ask the vendors about how they grow their produce.

2) Use Reusable Grocery Bags

Americans use approximately 100 billion plastic bags each year, equating to about 300 bags per person. Each plastic bag takes around 20 years to decompose, posing a high environmental risk. A more sustainable way to shop is using reusable bags to carry your goods. Some stores reward you for doing so, as well. If using reusable bags isn’t an option for you, your grocery store could have a recycling program where you can return your bags the next time you shop.

3) Know Where Your Food Comes From

If you can’t make it to a farmer’s market to interact with producers personally, you can still take a few moments to look up the brands at the grocery store. Knowing where your food comes from is essential when learning how to shop more sustainably. This is particularly true for dairy, meat, and seafood products.

Check if certain brands use pesticides in their agricultural practices or if the animals are pasture-raised and grass-fed. Buying sustainable seafood also has greater benefits for the environment and your health. When you pick up a pack of chicken, beef, or other products, look for special certifications like the Aquaculture Stewardship Council label or the Certified Humane logo that certifies thoughtful and more responsible animal farm practices.

4) Reduce Your Plastics

Approximately eight tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. The next time you go grocery shopping, try going plastic-free. From plastic bags to the packaging and containers you buy items in, opt for more recyclable-friendly materials instead.

Check labels on the packaging to look for recycling symbols. Some packaging may even come in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. By ensuring your items are in recyclable cartons, you’ll have an easier time disposing of them the right way.

5) Buy More Plant-Based

Shifting to plant-based foods might be a big adjustment for many of us, but even taking small steps towards meat substitutes can help the environment. Meat production accounts for a significant amount of the U.S.’s fresh water use. Studies have found that if the country cuts its meat consumption in half, food production would use 37% less water.

Even if you’re not ready to go fully meatless or dairy free, simply reducing the amount you buy can make a difference.

Small Sustainable Steps for Great Success

It may take a little time for you to transition to zero-waste, sustainable food shopping. Don’t be discouraged, though. Remember that even starting small with a few organic purchases can make a difference, both for your health and the planet.