6 Biggest Sustainable Food Victories of 2010

2010 was a banner year for sustainable foodies. Due to intense campaigning from non-profits, grassroots groups, and Change.org members, eco-conscious food lovers racked up quite a few victories: School lunch got a much-needed makeover, our food system inched a little closer to being considered "safe," and the oceans earned more protections, just to name a few. It was hard to narrow it down, but we selected the six biggest food victories of 2010.

1) Child Nutrition Act Gets Signed into Law

For the past few decades, school lunches consisted mainly of rubbery hot dogs, greasy pizza, and soggy french fries. That all changed this year when Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The school lunch reform bill, which President Obama signed into law this December, expands the number of students enrolled in free- and reduced-cost meal programs and makes the entrees themselves more nutritious. The legislation came about after a huge coalition of sustainable foodies, public health experts, parents, educators, non-profits, and even First Lady Michelle Obama pushed Congress to finally overhaul America's school lunches.

2) D.C. Healthy Schools Act Gets the Green Light

While federal school lunches will get an overhaul via the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, Washington, D.C.'s cafeteria meals received an upgrade of their own this past May. After more than 1,400 Change.org members signed Earth Day Network's petition, D.C.'s City Council voted in favor of the Healthy Schools Act. The law puts a six percent tax on all sodas sold within city limits. That dough funds the Healthy Schools Act, which ups the nutritional standards for D.C.'s school lunches and incorporates more locally produced items into cafeteria meals.

3) Food Safety Legislation Moves Forward

After this summer's huge salmonella outbreak, it became glaringly obvious that America's food safety system was in desperate need of reform. The country will finally see a safety upgrade through the recently passed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510). The legislation overhauls the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), mandating more frequent inspections of America's major food producers and processors and giving the agency the power to issue mandatory food recalls.

4) Citibank Stops Supporting the Shark Meat Trade

Back in July of this year, Change.org became aware of the fact that Citibank Singapore was offering a 15 percent discount for its cardholders to eat at Imperial Court Shark Fin's Restaurant. The dining establishment serves up endangered shark meat, among other seafood selections. More than 80 Change.org members signed our petition asking Citibank to put a stop to this incentive, and in fewer than 24 hours, the company discontinued the discount offer. Talk about a swift move to action.

5) Congress Passes the Shark Conservation Act

Sharks earned even more protections when Congress passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 in December of this year. Tens of millions of sharks die every year through finning, a brutal process where fishermen cut off sharks' fins and throw the fish back into the water to bleed to death. While shark finning in U.S. waters is technically illegal, this law is poorly enforced and many loopholes exist. The Shark Conservation Act closes these loopholes and allows America to take action against other countries who have scant finning regulations. The move came after more than 27,000 Change.org members signed Oceana's petition asking Congress to pass this protective legislation.

6) Santa Monica Legalizes Beekeeping

Beekeeping is one of the most sustainable practices out there. Beekeeping boosts local food security, creates jobs, and conserves beleaguered honeybees, many of which have been dying off due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While urban beekeeping is undeniably a boon to the environment, it's largely illegal in many U.S. cities. Santa Monica, C.A. was one of those cities — until Change.org members stepped in. Nearly 200 members signed our petition asking Santa Monica's City Council to legalize beekeeping. This December, local officials finally joined other cities like New York and gave urban beekeeping the green light.

Did we miss a major victory in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending a note to foodtips@change.org. And be sure to check back later this week for the biggest sustainable food campaigns to watch in 2011.

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Photo credit: Snap via Flickr