Earth Day: 13 Things Everyone Can Do in 2013

Food Tank: The Food Think Tank is celebrating Earth Day Monday with a list of 13 ways to support the future of food, agriculture and the planet .

“The rise of processed foods and a push for high yield, single-crop farms, is leading to not only soil degradation and water scarcity, but also unhealthy consumers,” said Ellen Gustafson in a news release.

Here are 13 recommendations from Food Tank for ways to support the future of food, health and agriculture:

Eat more colors. The colors of fruits and vegetables are signs of nutritional content.  

Buy food with less packaging. Discarded packaging makes up around one-third of all waste in industrialized countries, with negative impacts on the climate, and air and water quality.

Choose seasonal produce. Earth Day offers a great opportunity to bring more seasonal fruits and vegetables into diets.

Get in touch with agriculture. This time of year, many people are starting to plan vacations. A great way to skip the crowds, save money, and get both children and adults in touch with agriculture is to book a farm-stay through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

Get creative in the kitchen. Shopping at farmers markets, which often have a wide selection of less-ordinary produce such as celeriac, sunchokes, or kohlrabi, can prevent “food ruts” by helping consumers try new foods.

Invest in perennial crops. Perennial plants—plants that grow back every year—tend to hold water in soil more effectively than annuals and help prevent erosion.

Reclaim abandoned spaces As populations continue to expand, especially in cities, reclaiming unused land and buildings for food production can help meet growing demand.

Build local and global food communities. A great way to get involved in food and agriculture issues is with Slow Food International, an organization with more than 1,300 groups around the world called convivia.

Do-It-Yourself. Many DIY food projects are easy and fun.

Cook in batches and freeze for later. Planning meals in advance can help reduce stress around cooking. Brighten your outlook

The Food Think Tank, founded by Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson, is a think tank focused on feeding the world better. The groups researches and highlights environmentally, socially and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity and poverty and create networks of people, organizations and content to push for food system change.