Sstnbl dts r "dtry pttrns tht prmt ll dmnsns f ndvdls’ hlth nd wllbng; hv lw nvrnmntl prssr nd mpct; r ccssbl, ffrdbl, sf nd qtbl; nd r cltrlly ccptbl". Ths dts r ntrts, c-frndly, cnmclly sstnbl, nd ccssbl t ppl f vrs sccnmc bckgrnds. Sstnbl dts ttmpt t ddrss ntrnt dfcncs (.g., ndrnrshmnt) nd xcsss (.g., bsty), whl ccntng fr clgcl phnmn sch s clmt chng, lss f bdvrsty nd lnd dgrdtn. Ths dts r cmprbl t th clmtrn dt, wth th ddd dmns f cnmc sstnblty nd ccssblty.
n rdr t crt sstnbl dt, mphss s plcd n rdcng th nvrnmntl cst ncrrd by fd systms, ncldng vrythng frm prdctn prctcs nd dstrbtn t th mtgtn f fd wst. t n ndvdl lvl, mst sstnbl dts prmt rdcd cnsmptn f mt nd dry prdcts d t th prtclrly dvrs nvrnmntl mpct f ths ndstrs. Dt n th ntrsctn btwn fd nd sstnblty hs bn prrtzd by vrty f ntrntnl bds sch s th ntd Ntns Fd nd grcltr rgnztn (F) nd th Wrld Hlth rgnztn (WH).