The International Day for Biological Diversity:Biodiversity and Agriculture 22 May 2008

Consumers and Sustainable Lifestyles

Agriculture provides people with a host of consumer goods – from the rich diversity of fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers and nuts to the multitude of fibers, fuels and timber. Human health, nutrition and well-being relies on biodiversity for most agricultural goods and a multitude of others—medicines and supplements, cosmetics and biochemicals. Pollution, land conversion and over-extraction of resources from biodiversity and the environment, damages ecosystem services that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.

The choices people make in their everyday consumption for food and other agricultural goods have an ecological footprint and often, larger ramifications that they are unaware of, such as the polluting factor of transporting goods to markets. A person’s ecological footprint is the land and resources necessary to produce what they use and to recycle their wastes. Sustainable lifestyles for you, your family and friends are essential for safeguarding natural resources and conserving biodiversity for future generations.

Information About Sustainable Lifestyles

How to Develop Sustainable Lifestyles