The food industry is responsible for a third of global GHG emissions and has been identified as the main driver of biodiversity loss, demonstrating that the current linear way of growing and marketing food will not work in the long term. necessary a food system based on the principles of a circular economy, eliminating waste and pollution, and promoting the circulation of products and materials that regenerate nature from design.
According to the study The great redesign of food: regenerating nature with the circular economy, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation propose the creation of a positive food system for nature, which means going beyond reducing the negative impacts of the current food system on nature and have a really positive impact.
“Our study has shown that it is possible to contribute to a future with zero net emissions and that is positive for nature by combining four key options of selection of ingredients and of sourcing. In other words, ingredients that are diverse, have a lower environmental impact, that are recycled, and produced in a regenerative way, ”explained Luisa Santiago, leader of the Ellen Macarthur Foundation for Latin America.
Currently only wheat, rice, corn and potato crops provide 60% of the world’s calories, to increase the resilience of the food supply, it is necessary to increase the genetic diversity of crops and livestock, thus, companies can increase the diversity of ingredients used by incorporating a wider and more diverse range into their product portfolios. For example, they may turn to other plants as sweeteners, such as date palms and stevia, instead of using conventional ingredients such as corn, beets, and cane.
“There is also the opportunity to opt for lower impact ingredients, such as switching from conventionally produced animal proteins to plant proteins. Many companies are already doing that. However, going from animal to vegetable ingredients is not the only option for less impact. Our study has shown that, within the modeled geographies, substituting pea flour for conventional wheat flour could reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced in the field by 40%, ”the spokesperson added.
Among the opportunities available to companies is the use of recycled ingredients. Currently, a third of food is lost or wasted. However, this food or these food co-products can become high value ingredients. In addition to avoiding the sending of this food to landfills and its related environmental effects, there is a great economic opportunity in taking advantage of it. In this sense, the recycled food market is valued at 46,000 million dollars and is projected to grow 5% annually, thanks to new technologies.
As mentioned above, the ingredients are not the only important aspect to consider, but also how they are grown. Regenerative food production has several environmental benefits and can lead to higher yields and increased profitability for farmers.
“Major fast-moving consumer goods companies and retailers have a huge role to play in changing today’s food system because of their power of influence. For example, in the EU and UK, 40% of agricultural land use is influenced by the top 10 fast-moving consumer goods and retail companies. Many of these companies are part of the current food industry problem, but given their size and influence, they need to be part of the solution. They can contribute at scale and with the speed necessary to create a food system that is positive for nature and that contributes to the livelihoods of current and future farmers ”, highlighted Luisa Santiago.
In practice, there are several actions that these companies must take. They can create ambitious, well-resourced plans to make it happen by redesigning their product portfolios to one that is positive to nature. They can create a new dynamic of collaboration with farmers. They can develop iconic products to show the potential of circular food design. They can contribute to using common definitions and metrics in agricultural settings, and they can advocate for policies that support a positive food system for nature.
recommendations
Although there are few products available to buy at this time that are fully aligned with a circular food design, to help stimulate movement in this direction, consumers may demand or seek food products made with ingredients that are better for biodiversity and the climate, such as more diverse ingredients, with less impact, that are recycled and produced in a regenerative way, advise from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation.
“In Mexico, some companies are already taking advantage of some of the aforementioned design opportunities. For example, Genius Food is a company that uses recycled ingredients. They buy ingredients that farmers cannot market (such as seeds, stems, and peels) and turn them into high-value products such as powders and dried fruits. NotCo is another example. The company has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm that creates various combinations of herbal ingredients to reproduce the taste and texture of animal products. Ingredients include vegetables
diverse and unusual, as well as having a reduced impact on the environment. There are options, but these are not yet the norm, ”Luisa Santiago added.
Challenge
Finally, the spokesperson comments that to have the benefits of a circular economy in food, food brands and supermarkets need to go beyond a “better” sourcing of current ingredients, and instead redesign their product portfolios. “We understand that the challenges of doing this redesign will be different for different companies and locations. However, it is necessary to go beyond the challenges and examine the opportunities to address the needs of a market that is increasingly concerned with the environmental aspects of food products, and to address the risks of remaining in a linear food system, which is vulnerable to shocks and continues to contribute to the main global challenges, such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, challenges that also affect the food industry ”, he pointed out. The circular economy and the opportunities of circular design for food offer a framework of systemic solutions that will help achieve an economy that can address global challenges and that really works in the long term.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx