As a nutrition major I am very conscientious about what foods I am putting into my body, but that is often affected by the food habits of others or social norms. For example, I only consume whole wheat products such as multigrain bread and wheat pasta, but when I go home my family buys standard white flour products. Thus, I have to change my eating patterns and adapt to what others are eating around me. Another social norm that is much more widespread is the tradition of eating large meals during holidays. The Western diet places an emphasis of the consumption of large family meals for special occasions, be it a holiday or even a birthday. In other countries, such as Ireland, Saint Patrick’s day is a day of feasting. To not feast is to be out of the norm. Overall, agriculture plays a large role here in that it brings us enjoyment of foods, as mentioned in the module.

On the other hand, having these large celebrations with an enormous amount of food brings about several societal issues. A major issue is the amount of waste that is often produced when people do not eat all of this food. When humans demand more food, inputs into the agriculture system are required, such as feed for animals and fuel for farming equipment. This also has an environmental impact as more resources are used and gasses are transmitted throughout the air. When this food goes to waste sustainability then becomes an issue. It is a continuous feedback loop, in which humans are in control of their food supply. Sustainability efforts have been on the rise in recent years with an aim to reduce food waste. We cannot necessarily stop people from having large celebrations with food, but we can make society better aware of it. It would make a difference if people made enough food to satisfy one’s hunger instead of having half of it go to waste.