What Do 3^rd Level Students Consider a Sustainable Diet? A Qualitative Study

The world population is increasing along with the need for food. However, the way in which we grow and consume food has environmental, economic, and social implications, which are the pillars upon which the concept of sustainability is built. Third-level students will become the generation that will be working and starting families soon, therefore the aim of the current study is to explore the views of Irish third-level students regarding sustainable diets. For this reason, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on the understanding of sustainability, sustainable food and diets of students (n = 7) from different courses (Environmental, Human Nutrition and Marketing). Moreover, the barriers they faced when trying to follow a sustainable diet were explored. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data showed that the perception of sustainability depended partly on the course they were studying. Sustainable diet consisted of foods which are local, healthy, without packaging, and producing minimum waste when consumed. The barriers they faced, regardless of their studies, were linked to the lack of information on the packaging in relation to sustainability and when living independently versus living with their parents. For the future, it is suggested to incorporate sustainability and sustainable diets in the learning of students across courses. Moreover, it is suggested to explore the views on sustainable diets of adults from different age groups.