The 4 Factors of Sustainability: Human, Social, Economic & Environmental

Sustainability is a very broad term that some feel, is massively overused, and sometimes in the wrong way. We’re going to break it down into 4 clear and understandable aspects; human, social, economic and environmental.
Here at MM, we work hard to examine how we are impacting each aspect and how our effect is positive.

Human

Human: Focuses on how we can preserve and improve the quality of human life, whilst reducing our impact on the planet’s resources. At MM, we try to understand that consumption trends have a huge impact on the environment. Monitoring our supply chains, aiming to source locally where possible, and supporting small brands – We are reducing our consumption impact in our market. We sell natural, unprocessed foods and in doing so, we sustain farms and producers that provide them.

Social

Mercato at its core is a market that values everyone equally, with community at our centre. Social injustice and discrimination contribute to cultural and environmental degradation. We share our values openly and widely to welcome and support all partners, visitors, local community members and stakeholders, regardless of race, gender, age, religion, and other demographical factors.

Economic

Economic sustainability requires that a business or country uses its resources efficiently and responsibly, so that it can operate in a sustainable manner, consistently producing operational profit. Mercato is not a charity; we are a profit-making company who aim to help build up all our partners and traders. We seek out small companies that we can incubate and grow, benefiting their economic sustainability whilst improving our MM ethos and stability.

Environmental

Environmental sustainability means that we are living within the means of our natural resources, clearly understanding what resources are abundant and which are scarce. Knowing and reducing the damage to the environment from extraction of these materials, helps to establish how resources can be kept within the Circular Economy principles. Throughout the MM supplier chain, we work to reduce the impact the dishes our trading partners serve on the environment. We are working towards more circular waste systems and water conservations.