Savoring Sustainability

What if we told you that eating the right kind of snacks can make the world a better place? Or by simply swapping the almond milk you buy at a grocery store with a nut base that you make at home, you can reduce personal carbon footprint each day?

Sustainability is a hot topic, and for good reason. Broadly, it’s about building things — businesses, products, lifestyles, systems and more — in a way that protects the environment and ecosystem and doesn’t deplete natural resources for future generations, while also supporting human health and overall wellbeing in the present.

And since Florida is on the forefront of climate change, awareness of sustainability is growing. By implementing green initiatives, businesses throughout the state have reduced Florida’s carbon footprint and helped preserve our fragile ecosystems. From supporting their farmers, transparent labeling, educating the buyer to look after the Earth, these sustainable South Florida food and kitchen brands are helping you make a small but steady impact.

Bluehouse Salmon

Fish is definitely high on the list of healthy foods to eat, but shopping for it can be a challenge. Is this one full of mercury? Where did that one come from? Do I need to worry about overfishing? Farm-raised or wild? If we’re being honest, choosing sustainable seafood can be tricky business. Selecting which fish and shellfish to buy depends on many factors, including how and where the seafood was caught. Because of overfishing in certain regions, a fish that’s sustainable in one place may not be sustainable in another.

With a thriving aquaculture facility in Homestead and the leadership of its Danish headquarters, Bluehouse Salmon is just one of many companies making the much-needed shift to sustainable foods. Under the brand Bluehouse Salmon, the Norwegian firm Atlantic Sapphire has started producing Atlantic salmon, a cold-water species, in indoor tanks in an aquaculture facility in the South Florida city of Homestead, aiming to supply the current U.S. salmon diet from the sweltering subtropics. The fish in their facility are growing without antibiotics or pesticides and without exposure to seaborne diseases or parasites.

So, while the fish is not wild caught, it’s not traditionally farmed either. “Our USA-raised salmon grow from egg to full-grown at our Florida Bluehouse facility,” explains Max Francia, Director of Marketing for Bluehouse Salmon.  “They are processed onsite and reach consumers all over the USA in a fraction of the time by truck. Today, 90% of the salmon Americans eat is imported. We produce fresh, delicious salmon at a fraction of imported salmon’s carbon footprint.”

Local Miami restaurants are already getting on board with the innovative product, including the upscale Mediterranean eatery TUR Kitchen in Coral Gables. Publix was one of the earliest supporters of Bluehouse, stocking it in seafood departments across the state in May 2021.

“Farmed salmon is the most consumed seafood in the United States, and while there is some aquaculture salmon production in Maine, the vast majority of the product sold in the U.S. comes from Chile and Norway,” says Publix Business Development Director of Seafood Guy Pizzuti.  “We’re excited to work with Atlantic Sapphire to offer our customers salmon that was, not only raised in the U.S., but in our own backyard in Florida,” he adds.

Other markets including Sprouts Farmers Market are supporters as well.

Joi

Roughly 1 in 3 consumers (32 %) use non-dairy milks at least once a week, with almond milk standing out as a favorite, according to a 2021 Morning Consult survey. People are turning to plant-based dairy alternatives, for both environmental reasons and increasing awareness about lactose intolerance. Decreasing the amount of dairy in your diet has benefits for the climate but switching from cow’s milk to soy or almond milk still leaves us with the same challenges associated with milk packaging and waste.

That’s one of the issues Miami-based Joi nut bases is aiming to tackle. Packaged in recyclable glass jars, one container of this concentrate — which gets blended with water to create a creamy milk alternative — can replace up to seven 1-quart milk cartons.  Joi is working to be net zero by the end of 2022 and since its inception in 2016 has already saved over 2.5 million non-recyclable cartons from ending up in landfills (this number keeps going up.) For a company, being net zero means achieving a balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and taken out of the atmosphere.

Currently offered in cashew or almond (plus a hazelnut creamer), jars of Joi are filled with a smooth paste that’s thinner than creamy peanut butter, but thicker than water. The base can be used to make fresh nut milks by blending a ratio of 1 to 2 tablespoons of Joi to 1 cup of water in 30 seconds. The milk itself lasts up to 7 days in the fridge, and the beauty of the product is that you can make as much or as little as you want. And you can adjust creaminess, sweetness and flavorings to your exact liking.

The paste is also versatile enough to be used directly in smoothies, desserts, dips or any dishes that call for a velvety texture and nutty flavor. The fact that you could use a nut base to make everything from breakfast to dessert (and dairy-free cheese and desserts often do cost more), could eliminate the need to buy any number of other pantry items, thereby increasing its environmental effectiveness. Another bonus: Joi doesn’t rely on additives — you won’t find a preservative, oil or added granule of sugar in any of these alt milk bases.

Biscayne Coffee

In May 2022 Miami native and hospitality industry expert Steve Turk, founder of Turk Hospitality Ventures, launched Biscayne Coffee, an eco-friendly coffee brand. The company donates 10% of all sales to the Biscayne Bay Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in South Florida, whose mission is to increase awareness of the health, safety and sustainability of waterways on Biscayne Bay. Turk was witness to a life-changing experience at Biscayne Bay that inspired the creation of the coffee brand.

“In the summer of 2020, a massive fish kill took place on the bay due to lack of oxygen in the water. Among the mass of dead fish, I found a dead manatee while walking with my younger daughter and son along the bay. Angry and saddened by this experience, I thought there had to be something big I could do to help.  The next morning as I was sipping my morning coffee and looking out at the bay the idea struck. Biscayne Coffee was born,” says Turk. “I want my children and all families to experience the magic of Biscayne Bay the way that I did. I hope this coffee inspires and brings awareness to help preserve Biscayne Bay for future generations to enjoy.”

The product lineup includes three varieties: the Biscayne Blend Dark Roast, a signature blend originating from Indonesia, Central and South America with notes of dark chocolate and raspberry. Biscayne Single Origin Colombia is a medium roast blend originating from farmers in the remote region of South of Huila with tasting notes that feature orange, caramel and milk chocolate flavor. The Biscayne Blend Light Roast (from Central and South America) has a citrusy, sweet and complex aroma that offers flavors of grapefruit, apple, caramel and roasted hazelnuts.

The coffee can be purchased online at www.biscaynecoffee.com for $18.96 (in honor of the year Miami was founded: 1896).

Verde Market

Eco warriors have long emphasized that buying in bulk is more sustainable because bulk items require less packaging. Promoting conscious consumption, Verde Market offers package-free bulk buying options for household items and pantry goods. Co-owners Martha Balaguer and Pam Barrera were inspired by similar stores offering zero-waste packaging in Europe. They opened their first store in Miami in 2018 and two more locations have followed — in South Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

“Our mission is to save the world from trash one bottle at a time. It’s very clear that we want to invite people to rethink how we can make things better and think about the long term of our actions,” Barrera says. “We are here to educate and do something for our community and eventually for the world.”

Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own empties to fill with the wide range of products (over 300) offered. From nuts to flours to oil to powdered spirulina, lavender floor cleaner and sweet almond shampoo, customers can find a variety of household items at the market.