Thinking about Systems

The food industry and our very culture have also shaped our perceptions. In America we are taught that bigger is better, large portions indicate value, and excess is a right. On top of this, many advertisements promote the superiority of perfectly formed and colored fruits and vegetables. Moreover, supermarket packages carry a confusing combination of “sell by”, “use by”, or “best before” dates that have little to do with food safety but a lot to do with what gets purchased and discarded. 

Experts at a recent panel on sustainable packaging emphasised the need to adopt systems thinking, which paves the way for collaboration and innovation.