We've all heard the word "organic" thrown about willy-nilly over the last decade, and everyone is pretty well versed on what it means.
The 2nd runner-up in foodie lexicon is "sustainable". Often, they go hand-in-hand on menus.
But what does sustainable really mean? I was asked this question recently during dinner at Aziza (by my dad no less, who knows perfectly well what it means), and when I opened my mouth, this is what came out:
"uuuhhhhhh....aduh...supporting the land.....hmmmm, uhhhhh.....not bringing in additional...resources?....uhhhh...aduh....farmers....huh."
Well. That's crystal clear.
I was so embarrassed that I looked it up on Wikipedia immediately when I got home. Here is a very concise definition:
Sustainable development:
...development that 'meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable agriculture:
Sustainable agriculture refers to the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing irreversible damage to ecosystem health. Two key issues are biophysical (the long-term effects of various practices on soil properties and processes essential for crop productivity) and socio-economic (the long-term ability of farmers to obtain inputs and manage resources such as labor).
I am posting this in hopes that when you are asked this question, you come up with the right answer and don't feel like the kid on the special bus in front of your dad.
That's me - saving the socially conscious from embarrassment one word at a time.
