Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical (SOLE) food is part of a larger movement to change the way that people eat, and the sources of their food. Proponents believe that eating SOLE food will help people to live longer, healthier lives, and will also benefit the environment. They also believe that it is important to combine all of the elements of SOLE, as food could be organic but not ethical, or local but not sustainable. It is hoped that SOLE food will enhance our connection to the environment, food producers, and our food. Adherents of the SOLE food movement range from proponents of slow food worldwide to major corporations which are trying to change the way they care for their employees and the world.

The sustainable part of SOLE food refers to farming and harvesting processes which are supportable in the long term. For example, a farmer who rotates crops and allows fields to lie fallow is farming sustainably, because the land will continue to support agriculture for centuries if well cared for. A farmer who continually plants the same crop and douses the land in fertilizer is not farming sustainably, because this exhausts the land. Proponents of SOLE food believe that the growing global population is putting intense pressure on the food supply, and that the only way to guarantee food for future generations is to start thinking long term, and farming in a sustainable way.

The term “organic” in SOLE food is a nod to organic agriculture, which is a type of sustainable farming practice. Organic agriculture goes another step, though, and tries to take care of the environment in general by producing food naturally, without the use of herbicides and pesticides. Organic farmers rotate crops, use natural pest control, and do not use artificial drugs or hormones for their animals. Most organic farmers also adhere to humane standards which dictate the amount of room animals have to move in, and how animals are slaughtered.

Adherents of SOLE food also believe that it is very important to obtain food locally. Food that comes from long distances is highly inefficient, and uses a lot of fossil fuels for transit. Local food also supports the local economy by keeping food dollars local, rather than in the hands of large companies and agribusinesses. Eating local also allows for a greater connection to the people who produce food, and helps to bridge the gap between city dwellers and farmers, consumers and producers.

Finally, SOLE food should be ethically produced. Ethical food standards include concepts like Fair Trade, which ensure that people are paid a living wage for their labor. But ethical food is also food that is produced humanely and in a way that benefits the environment. Companies which produce ethical food are expected to pay their workers well, complement the communities they live in, donate to ethical charities, and care about more than just the bottom line of profits.

By combining these four cornerstones, SOLE food proponents believe that they will nourish their bodies and the environments in a healthy way. With rising concerns about food supplies, food contamination, and obesity, many consumers are turning to SOLE food to make changes in their lives, and in the way food is produced globally. It is also hoped that a growing demand for SOLE food will result in higher production and lower prices, making it accessible to all consumers, not merely the wealthy.