Consumers consider food safety and quality fundamental and take them for granted. But managing food safety and quality risks is no longer sufficient. Consumers are demanding more; they want sustainable products.

For the food and beverage industry, this has put corporate responsibility at the top of the agenda, requiring that they look beyond short-term gains to implement a strategic vision for the future that bears the next generation in mind.

This means rising to the challenge on environmental and resource related issues, balancing a global market with local needs.

Food miles
Production of food in one country and consumption in another, further and further from its origin, raises the issue of “food miles” – what were the total emissions of this product?

The consequences range from increased energy consumption for transportation, in many cases by air, and increased CO₂ emissions. Other issues to be addressed relate to water-resources, waste, recycling and sustainable agricultural practices.

Sustainable production
As health, nutrition and quality food is becoming an increasingly important element of sustainable products for modern consumers, considering the environmental side of agricultural practices is not enough. One must also consider the quality and nutritional value of ingredients already at a product’s earliest stage.

Companies are also evaluated on their performance on social and ethical issues. Human rights probably get the most attention, but food sustainability also extends to the critical issue of food security.

Supplying food and nutrition in sufficient quantities at an affordable cost to humanity as a whole is a growing concern. The food and beverage industry is a natural part of the solution and has an important role to play.

Every action has an impact
Sustainable performance, from a social, environmental and economic point of view, has become a prerequisite for all businesses.

As consumers make their selections based on environmental, health and ethical parameters, it is of particular importance to companies in the food and beverage industry to provide a managed, clear and transparent response to the demand for sustainable performance expressed by consumers and society at large.