In this inspiring series we speak to successful entrepreneurs who are proving that success in business doesn’t have to cost the Earth…

We caught up with Ed Dowding of Sustaination to find out all about his exciting business that’s changing how we all look at what goes in our bellies.

Dowding described his business as “a dating site for food businesses”. In layman’s terms Sustaination connects local food networks and markets across the globe.

When coming up with the idea, Ed told us: “I thought to myself what needs fixing in the world? Why are we still struggling with energy?

“I remember thinking when I was 8 that there are such simple solutions to the world’s problems. And I came to the conclusion that the biggest problem is food. If we don’t have food, then nothing else matters.”

Sustaination help great food businesses create meaningful local employment, healthier communities and a cleaner planet too.

Ed told us: ”The more you look at the problem, the easier it is to see how pressing the matter is. 50% of our land is going to be unusable by 2050 and 40% of our ingredients are already being imported. The change needs to happen now.”

Sustaination already have almost 100,000 independent businesses on their site, and the founder is realistic about the challenges he has faced and those ahead of him. ”The next thing ahead is always the biggest challenge,” he says. “There is always an obstacle to overcome and you just have to face each one as  it is presented to you.

“It’s got to be worth it. Money shouldn’t come into it. It’s all about making a difference and making a positive impact on the planet we’re all going to eventually be leaving behind.”

His advice to any aspiring eco-entrepreneurs out there who want to start something good is simple: “Just do it. Now. There have never been more challenges to face or opportunities to conquer than now. Do it.”

Find out more about Sustaination in this video…

Here comes the science bit…

GC articles show you one way (the one in bold) to live greener…

/ Be a winner (not a binner) /
/ Turn up the style (not the heat) /
/ Love the trend (not the spend) /
/ Do it in public (not the car/plane) /

Pic: Sustaination