Sustainable food production is becoming more and more relevant as Chef and Yöung's Oystein Mojord explains with his new blog.

Sustainable food production is becoming all the more important in today’s world where consumers more than ever are keenly aware of their environmental and economic footprints. This will naturally have a knock-on effect on the restaurant and food service business.

Importance of sustainable food production

“Urban farming” is a term being used more often as food businesses and consumers are getting increasingly aware of the importance of sustainable food production.

Some restaurants and food retailers have started to adopt more environmentally friendly practices to secure a more sustainable business model and attract new guests. Younger generations especially have put a focus on improved sustainability and traceability for their food and many have joined the start-up boom tackling the concerning areas.

What sustainable food options are available?

With Urban farming, a new generation of farmers are rising to provide a sustainable sourcing option for food production and serving industries. Aquaponic for example, refers to any system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish and crayfish in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. It is both space, resource and time efficient compared to conventional farming methods, suitable for urban communities. The products from this urban farm are now starting to be used in food stores and restaurants across some of the larger UK cities for instance.

In fact, Hydroponics is another of the modern farming methods which is becoming more widely used. It allows plants to be grown indoors without soil, using water and nutrients delivered directly to roots. This is a method many supermarkets currently use for their salad leaves, cucumbers and tomatoes.

The question is now when restaurants will start becoming more self-sufficient, invest directly in urban farming, and collaborate with new innovators and entrepreneurs to ensure they have a long term sustainable business. If they get it right, it will not only benefit the environment but reduce raw material costs, while attracting and retaining guests and beating the competition.

Oystein Mojord

Chef & Yöung is a Scandinavian brand working to grow the talent and passion of yöung chefs and foodies, promoting cooking as a lifestyle. Everything started when the Norwegian chef, Oystein, travelled around the world and noticed that there was a high demand for quality chefs in the kitchens; meanwhile his colleagues were constantly switching jobs. He decided something had to be done and Chef & Yöung was born to bring in a new attitude among yöung chefs and promote cooking as a lifestyle. Oystein co-owns Chef & Yöung with Mattias Nordlander who focuses on the sales, marketing and finance side of the business.

Twitter: @chefandyoung