DOCENTE RURAL

In light of the impacts that human actions have on both the environment and other humans, and in recognition of the increasingly consequential effects of behavior, a

paradigm of sustainability has become one of the most emergent topics of discussion in today’s academic, political, and professional circles (Deale, Nichols, & Jacques, 2009; LaTour, 2014; Peregrin, 2011). It is a complex topic with many definitions, incorporating many, multi-faceted and dynamic components, and can be referred to in both an

environmental/resource management context and in economic or business models, as well as a modus for society (Schaefer & Crane, 2005).

The concept of sustainability can be approached from many angles and has been examined across multiple disciplines. Within applied research, sustainability is typically approached from one of two perspectives: either a supply-side (operations) or a demand side (the consumer). Though variations in the definition exist, sustainability is universally considered a guiding principle that creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony without compromising the needs of current and future generations (EPA, 2015b). In general, sustainability can be boiled down to three basic components of mutual and individual moral responsibility: economic, social, and environmental/ecological (Becker & Jahn, 1999; Choi & Parsa, 2006; Maloni & Brown, 2006; Sloan, Legrand, & Chen, 2013). Sustainability can be considered the area in which these three components overlap, forming a synergistic model for social and economic equality that maintains health, safety, and economic viability while

simultaneously conserving resources and minimizing environmental impact (Eichler, 1999) (see Figure 2.1). This concept that encompasses the overlap between economic, social, and environmental responsibility can be referred to as the “three-pillar” model or “triad” of sustainability (Eichler, 1999; Figge, Schaltegger, & Wagner, 2002; Gibson, 2006).

Though the ‘triad’ or ‘three-pillar’ framework has been used to guide and define sustainability since its inception, the discourse on sustainability has largely taken an environmental perspective—looking at conservation, preservation, and management of natural resources and the environment (Brown, Hanson, Liverman, & Merideth, Jr., 1987; Herremans & Reid, 2002). This environmentally-oriented direction of sustainability research and education can be partly attributed to a widespread increase in concern over

Figure 2.1 General Model of Sustainability (Eichler, 1999, p.198)

the environment and in response to the effects of globalization, resource extraction on a grand scale, pollution, and global climate change (Chakrabarty, 2009). Although human influence on the environment on a global scale has been recognized since the 1800s, some scientists are positing that we have entered a new epoch in Earth history—one that represents a quantitative shift in the relationship between humans and the global

environment (Steffen, Grinevald, Crutzen, & McNeill, 2011).

Formally recognized as the Anthropocene, this concept suggests that since the industrial revolution began, the intensification of globalization (and specifically the exponential use of fossil fuels) over the last forty years has resulted in a circumstance where “(i) the Earth is now moving out of its current geological epoch, called the

Holocene, that is, that humankind has become a global geological force in its own right” (Steffen et al., 2011, p.843). Surmounting empirical evidence indicates there is no longer an environment or climate on Earth devoid of human interaction or influence and the driving force behind the factors of global change is rooted firmly in collective human behavior, particularly in social, political, and economic spheres (Zalasiewicz, Williams, Haywood, & Ellis, 2011). It is from this relationship between social and economic forces and their subsequent effects on the natural environment that the concept of sustainability originated and where the three-pillar model gets its foundations.

One industry where the topic of sustainability is important and holistically applicable is in the context of foodservice. In addition to playing a significant role in the economy both on macro and micro levels, the production, distribution and service of food has a major impact on the environment. But more fundamentally, human existence is contingent upon the sustained supply and distribution of food and water. Besides oxygen, food and water are the only other things that humans need to survive on a daily basis. The industry itself is also reliant on continuous, large-scale resource production and

consumption, making it vulnerable to any significant environmental changes. With unpredictable weather patterns leading to droughts, rising food costs, and the subsequent fluctuation of supply in natural resources (Taylor, 2014; USDA ERS, 2014), and in acknowledgement of its own impact on the economy, society, and the environment, the foodservice industry has begun to concentrate efforts on engaging in sustainability (Harmon & Gerald, 2007; Maloni & Brown, 2006; Peregrin, 2011; Sloan et al., 2013).

Within the context of foodservice, sustainability is specified to maintaining the food system over the long term, meeting the needs of the present without compromising

the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In order to maintain the food system, raw materials for foods and natural resources used for food production and distribution must be conserved, not depleted or degraded (Harmon & Gerald, 2007). The production, consumption, and trade of food products have been identified as being major contributing factors to numerous environmental problems. Fostering change in the food chain, from production to trade to consumption, is just one critical step towards the achievement of sustainable development (Tanner, & Wölfing Kast, 2003). Sustainability as it relates to foodservice is discussed next, starting with how sustainability and sustainability research is approached from an operations perspective followed by the research that takes a consumer perspective.