In the last decade or so, much of the business world has made a massive shift to a triple bottom line. This means that companies don’t simply view their profits as evidence of success, but also look at the well-being of their employees and the impact their business has on the environment. Businesses as diverse as Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company to DHL shipping have all successfully made the shift to a triple bottom line model. Here are 3 ways the food industry can also make the shift to help protect the environment.

Less Waste

While food is theoretically biodegradable, the truth is that excess food waste generally ends up in landfills where it actually accounts for 25% of all methane gas emissions. In addition to the methane that food waste creates, food production also accounts for 25% of all freshwater consumption in the US. That’s not including all the fuel that is used to produce and transport the food and the other resources that growing food eats up. When food is wasted, it also wastes all the resources spent to produce it in the first place.

Less Meat

Almost one-third of the earth’s surface is used to raise animals for meat production, not to mention nearly 1/3 of the world’s fresh water sources. One of the critical dietary components that meat provides is protein. The importance of protein is the amino acids that it contains and not all sources of protein contain the same amino acids. While plant sources like the powders you can see at sanosphere.com can provide the same nutrients and proteins as meat, it is important to ensure that any plant-based diet actually contains all the necessary nutrients. One way to help boost the protein content of almost any dish is through the use of vegan protein powder.

Revive Forgotten Foods

While plant sources have the potential to offer all of the same protein sources as meat, that doesn’t mean that the most prevalent crops we are producing do. 75% of the world’s food supply is currently supplied by just twelve crops and five animal species. Conversely, there are an estimated 940 different cultivated plant species available on the planet. In order for humans to actually get all the nutrients we need from plant sources, we will need to start farming and cultivating foods with more robust nutritional profiles.

The truth is that food production is a business and like all businesses, demand drives production. In order for the food industry to change, consumers have to change. When people begin to actually demand responsible use of resources and buy from ethically motivated businesses like a plant based protein company, the industry will change accordingly.