Looking for fresh, sustainable food options in the United States? Check out the new Eat Well Guide, a free online directory created by Sustainable Table, a program of the GRACE Communications Foundation. The guide provides more than 25,000 listings of farms, restaurants, markets, and food co-ops that carry sustainable food options.
“People want locally grown, sustainably produced food, so we’re making it easier for them to find it,” says Dawn Brighid, project director of the Eat Well Guide. “Most American shoppers take into account where their food came from when they’re grocery shopping. They want to support food producers who are doing their best by their customers, their workers and the planet.”
By creating connections between consumers and producers, the Eat Well team hopes to expand markets for small-scale farmers and other socially responsible food producers. “We know that sustainable food vendors offer products that consumers want, but it’s difficult to compete with the enormous advertising budgets of industrial food producers,” says Chris Hunt, food program director at GRACE. “The Eat Well Guide helps to level the playing field by making it easy for consumers all around the country to find these sustainable food vendors for free.”
Users can search for vendors by location and view integrated Google maps, or they can consult curated guides for major U.S. cities. The guide may be especially useful for travelers and tourists looking to eat local in unfamiliar areas. The standards for inclusion are publicly available and require a demonstrated commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture.
GRACE has created other web-based initiatives that focus on conscious eating, such as The Meatrix, highlighting the intersections between food, water, energy, conscious consumerism, and policy.
