The term sustainability — originally conceived to mean doing more with less — is now used to describe development that meets current needs without compromising those of future generations (World Commission on Environment and Development Our Common Future, 1987). As food shortages increase and the global population expands, it is time to revisit the original concept of sustainability.

In accepting the idea of sustainable development as politically correct and all-encompassing, scientists and policy-makers have created a world in which 'sustainability' can be used both to defend and to attack environmental policy. Sustainability needs to be rebranded, for example by shifting consumer focus from greenness to payback and efficiency, and by differentiating between the private costs of policy implementation and the social cost of non-implementation (M. Csutora and Á. Zsóka J. Consum. Policy 34, 67–90; 2011).

The world has changed since 1987, and that 'future generation' has been born. Policies that promote sustainability should aim to provide the best life for as many people as possible — by doing more with less.