How Rural Traditions Inspire Sustainability In Hanoi

Nov. 24, 2020 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its newest construction project through a 10,000-square-foot green roof on the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center expansion.

With the climate and biodiversity COPs in progress, one part of the economy increasingly finds itself in the spotlight: food. Our current food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss and accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, spurring businesses and policymakers alike to set targets and take action to make changes in the sector.  But incremental improvements to the current system will not be enough to address these issues at scale and speed. A fundamental transformation of the food industry is needed; rather than bending nature to produce food, our food needs to be designed for nature to thrive.  Like most of the things around us – our clothes, phones, buildings – much of the food we eat has been designed, from breakfast cereals to pasta. Food brands and supermarkets create these food offerings from a handful of ingredients, making decisions about how something tastes, how it looks, and how nutritious it is. These decisions not only affect customers, farmers and suppliers, but also the environment.