How are Food and Beverage Manufacturers Minimizing Their Carbon Footprint?
Food and beverage manufacturers are accountable for a large number of carbon emissions; more than a third (37%) of the world’s GHG emissions currently come from food production, a fact that was largely unknown until a few years ago. However, a lot of work has been done recently to highlight the actual effects of our diets on the environment, particularly with regard to climate change.
Food and beverage manufacturers are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment; they are taking proactive measures to combat climate change. The food and beverage manufacturers are the greatest consumers of land globally, with vineyards alone occupying around 7.5 million hectares of land and grains farmed across 700 million hectares.
On the supply side alone, the food industry via agriculture consumes roughly 200 Exajoules of energy each year. These alarming numbers are enough to emphasize the immediate attention to the energy consumption of these sectors.
Steps Taken by Food and Beverage Manufacturers to Reduce Emissions
Many food and beverage manufacturers today are committing to reducing their carbon footprint across the value chain and keeping their suppliers accountable in order to prevent this kind of result. Another method food firms might be able to lower their carbon footprint in the agriculture sector is by limiting food waste. Let’s understand some of the things that food manufacturers are already doing to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Reducing food wastage:
Food wastage is a big problem which is being faced by many countries worldwide. Numerous events in the food system, including those related to production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption, can result in food loss or waste.
A third of the food that is produced worldwide is wasted. When food is wasted, it ends up in landfills where it decomposes and releases methane, a greenhouse gas with a 28-times greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Food and beverage manufacturers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 11% if they shift food waste from landfills to an inventive food waste treatment system.
Luckily, there is one thing that food and beverage manufacturers can do to prevent food waste at the consumption level: clear food labels. This innovative solution can help prevent food wastage because now they can see what is inside the packaging. Cutting down on food waste benefits businesses financially as well as ecologically.
- Hold suppliers accountable:
Big food and beverage manufacturers are also committed to reducing their carbon footprint at the supply level. Many businesses require sustainable adjustments from their suppliers to reduce GHG emissions even further.
The well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s teamed up with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to assist their milk suppliers, typically small dairies, in understanding their carbon impact.
To minimize greenhouse gas emissions, the alliance helps those dairy suppliers implement conservation measures that cover several methods for controlling manure and soil health.
Tie Up with Sustainability Consultants to Accelerate Your Growth.
Food and beverage manufacturers that are environmentally conscious are already taking action to prepare for and direct the impending transformation. The food business may reduce its greenhouse gas emissions for a better future by collaborating with food suppliers on sustainable practices, supporting initiatives backed by research, and making small modifications to product labelling.
Right now, is the best time for food and beverage manufacturers to collaborate with a sustainability consultant and minimize their environmental impact. A sustainability consultant will help guide your efforts in the right direction while analyzing and identifying your requirements and offering solutions that best address those needs.
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