Sustainably managed food and nutrition is essential for people and planet. Here, Alasdair Dalzel-Job, Technical Lead at Green Economy, discusses the risks climate change poses to the food sector, and his tips for developing and communicating sustainability strategies within your food business.
Do you ever consider how secure our access to food is? In a world of Deliveroo and 24-hour supermarkets, it’s difficult to envisage scarce supply and a lack of access to some of our most basic food and nutrient products. Global conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic gave a stark reminder of how a world with inefficient and unsustainable food supply could look. Worryingly, the effects of climate change could present a greater and more challenging risk to how we manufacture, source and transport even the most basic of foods.
Adverse weather such as extreme and prolonged periods of drought or flooding and heavy storms create undesirable conditions for cultivation or can decimate crop yields. Research from the Environmental Research Letters reveals that severe droughts in the UK occurred once every 16 years, but this could increase to once every three years by the 2060s and 2070s.
What’s more, as global temperatures rise, communities must adjust to different farming conditions which could mean moving away from crops that produce lower yields in higher temperatures. This type of volatility is what causes uncertain food supply chains that impact populations.
While the impacts of extreme weather may not seem problematic in more tepid climates, such as the UK, reports show that by 2050, 52 per cent of legumes and 47 per cent of fruit will be imported from climate-vulnerable countries with far more drastic weather changes.
However, domestic food production is still not climate resilient. A UK Government report in 2022, highlighted UK wheat yields dropped by 40 per cent in 2020 as a direct result of heavy rainfall and droughts which impacted production. What’s more, the frequency of these events is set to rise if efforts to mitigate climate change are not made.
As for the impacts of the food itself, every meal has its own carbon footprint. The embedded emissions come from production methods and equipment used for cultivation, transportation of the food, and the greenhouse gasses associated with the product itself, such as the widely documented methane emissions tied to rearing cattle.
In total, the global food system is responsible for roughly a third of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, making the agriculture sector the third biggest global contributor to emissions, behind transportation, and electricity and heat production.
Food businesses have a responsibility to build supply chains which focus on sustainability and security. The first step to making positive, environmental changes involves accurately calculating your organisation’s footprint and reporting on this transparently.
Food organisations need to account for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Taking the example of a business that makes and sells cakes:
Considering the energy and equipment you use on site is a great starting point for cutting emissions. Upgrading your equipment or switching to clean alternatives could have significant carbon, cost and energy savings.
For example, switching from standard fluorescent bulbs to LED lighting is a quick and simple change food businesses could make. Organisations using gas ovens could reduce their emissions by switching to electric and managing the source of this energy. And older, inefficient equipment could be updated to more cutting-edge, energy efficient models which will reduce your organisation’s footprint.
Trying to understand your tricky Scope 3 emissions? Read our useful guide here.
Now that your food business has taken steps to decarbonise its operations, the next step is to communicate this honestly and with transparency. Greenwashing is rife within the food industry, with many organisations including climate claims on their product packaging without being able to back them up. Before making an environmental claim and committing it to your branding and marketing, ensure you can support the claim with facts, evidence and data.
For example, if you are claiming that a product is carbon neutral, you need to be able to prove that the production of the product hasn’t generated more emissions than it has abated or removed from the atmosphere. Similarly, if you are claiming to have a Fairtrade product, it needs to be supported by the appropriate certification, this involves having a clear image of your supply chain.
I would advise avoiding eco-slogans and buzzwords unless you have the accreditations and evidence to support it. For example, “eco-friendly” and “kind to earth” are seemingly friendly phrases to use when marketing your product, but if you can’t back this up with sincere evidence, you are likely to be called out for greenwashing which will tarnish your organisation’s reputation.
If you are unsure which slogans to use, start by getting familiar with climate terminology using our Net Zero Key Terms Glossary.
Avoiding greenwashing is important, but if your organisation has sustainability achievements, it is certainly something to tell your customers about. Including your climate pledges in your environmental policy is a good means of demonstrating your business’ environmental value and commitments – indicating you are serious about running a sustainable business.
Three top tips for environmental policies in the food industry
Acting sustainably as a food business and communicating this correctly has endless benefits. It sends a clear signal to stakeholders, customers and employees that you take sustainability seriously and are adapting to the climate challenge. According to a survey from Anthesis, 53 per cent of over 1,000 UK workers surveyed said sustainability was an important factor when choosing a company to work for, and a further two fifths said they were disappointed in the lack of effort put into sustainability by their current employer.
Finally, the food industry is an essential cog in the global effort towards significant emissions reduction and sustainable climate management. As one of the world’s most prominent and essential sectors, green growth and development is a necessary and ethical step forward.
Want to cut carbon but unsure where to start? Our specialist team of sustainability consultants will work with you to identify inefficiencies and opportunities, creating energy, cost, and carbon savings. Raise an enquiry here.
Sustainability Business Advisor
Alasdair provides resource efficiency and environmental risk support to businesses, helping them to identify and implement low carbon solutions. As well as a Master’s degree in clean technology, Alasdair has two decades' experience in the environmental field. He is an ESOS Lead Assessor, a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, an Associate Member of IEMA and an IEMA Associate Environmental Auditor.
