What Is Sustainable Development?

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In a world that is noticeably fast-paced and ever-changing, the theme of sustainable development has become an emphasized topic in various treaties and policies around the world as a result of the rapid depletion of natural resources (1). The Brundtland report, which is often quoted, defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Sustainable development concentrates on designing a forward-thinking approach. (2) Its mentioned that there are three pillars that need to coexist in order for a sustainable society to be achieved. These three pillars comprise of environmental, …show more content…

The impact of a particular decision is every so often distant in both time and space, for example, 1) the loss of a local rainforest due to fragmentation may have an adverse effect on the global carbon cycle which will bear consequences for future generations and 2) the loss of a mangrove ecosystem will contribute to the decline in fisheries, fuel, timber and storm protection (15). The loss of biodiversity has a predominant effect on poorer societies as they are highly dependent on services that the ecosystem has to offer (16). Biodiversity shares a close relationship and is linked to other drivers of sustainable development such as livelihood security, agriculture, energy as well as human health and culture. The challenge that we face today is to ensure that the social, environmental, economic and cultural values are in an equilibrium state to safeguard and conserve our current biodiversity to sustain future generations …show more content…

SFSCs display an alternative way of producing, distributing, selling and purchasing food, namely farmers markets, on-farm selling and internet sales. SFSCs are characterizes by short social and physical distances. Social distance makes reference to the ability of the producer and consumer to directly interact with each other and share important information such as the particulars about the origin of the product, the method of production and the sustainability of the product, rather than the mere exchange of the product (22). The distance that the product has travelled, between the production point and the sale point, is referred to as the physical distance (23). There are many reasons as to why a consumer may choose to participate in SFSCs. These reasons include healthier and safer consumption in terms of fewer additives and preservatives being used in the product, values an ethics that include biodiversity protection, local breeds, seasonality and landscape preservation as well as governance of the food system with respect to fair prices including closeness in terms of transportation (shorter distance and fewer fuel requirements cause less

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