Simple ways to shop for food sustainably

(NC) Sustainable shopping doesn’t have to mean changing everything you buy. Small choices, like choosing fruits and vegetables grown close to home, can make a difference.

Here are three simple ways to make your grocery cart more sustainable and your diet healthier, while also supporting Ontario farmers:

1. Look for local produce
   Choosing Ontario-grown fruits and vegetables supports the farmers who grow your food and helps maintain food production close to home. Having farms nearby means Ontario is better able to provide its own fresh food and is less dependent on long supply chains that can be disrupted by extreme weather, trade disputes or other global events.
   You can check package labels and grocery store signs, look for the Foodland Ontario logo or ask where produce was grown. Ontario apples, potatoes, greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are just some examples of fruits and vegetables available year-round, while field-grown produce changes with the seasons.
2. Follow Ontario’s growing season
   Eating with the seasons is an easy way to discover local produce while it’s fresh and widely available.
   In late summer, look for Ontario peaches, nectarines, plums, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, beans, cucumbers and zucchini. As fall arrives, enjoy apples, pears, grapes, squash, pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage and other root vegetables.
3. Support sustainable food production
   Farmers rely on healthy soil, clean water and good farmland to grow the food we eat. They’re always looking for ways to grow food using less water and energy, reduce waste and take care of their land so it can continue producing food for generations to come.
   As a consumer, you’re also part of that story. Every time you choose local produce, you support the farmers making those investments and help ensure Ontario continues to have farms sustainably growing fresh fruits and vegetables close to home.

No single shopping trip will change the world. But small choices, repeated over time, add up. Choosing local, eating with the seasons and wasting less food can help support Ontario farmers and ensure a more sustainable food future.

This content is reserved for publication in Ontario only