Building a community: A key in sustainable eating lifestyle of young urban professionals

• Main Author: Godinez, Lounelle J.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Sustainable living—Philippines; Food habits—Philippines; Yuppies—Philippines; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/11767
• Institution: De La Salle University

Sustainable practices are strongly promoted as an alternative way for the people to conserve the environment and to improve the quality of life. While sustainable practices cover a spectrum of areas, perhaps one of the most central is that related to eating lifestyle. Recent data shows that a minimal number of Filipinos are vegetarian and vegan. However, there is no clear data on the other sustainable eating lifestyle (SEL) continuum. Using a researcher administered online key informant interview with ten (10) young urban professionals (YUPs) living in Metro Manila, and thematic analysis we described their relationship and experience with their sustainable eating lifestyle. Community building is essential in sustaining the SEL of YUPs. Amidst the challenges on food sourcing, preparation, and information sharing, they became resilient because of the support system they had with their friends, family, colleagues and established physical and virtual community. It is recommended that further studies on different age brackets be performed to examine their philosophies and a quantitative research to further analyze the emerging themes of this research. Key Words: Community; Sustainable Eating Lifestyle; Food; Eating; Young Urban Professionals; Sustainability