02 Dec Achieving net zero emissions in the food processing industry

Global warming is a major factor contributing to climate change. It is a cause of great concern for the world and companies all over the world have tried to limit their GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions. GHG emissions are the main cause of global warming. The food processing industry is one of the major contributors to GHG emissions. Emissions generated not just during the production process but across the entire supply chain also have to be taken into consideration.

Achieving net zero emissions in the food processing industry is a complicated and huge challenge but a very important one. But what exactly is net zero emission? Simply put, the ideal state where carbon dioxide emissions due to human activities are in balance with the removal of these gases. This can be achieved by a series of tasks and planning.

There is a framework developed for this called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC). The first COP meeting took place in 1995 in Berlin. Consequently, over the years COP (Conference of the parties) took place wherein environmental impacts of the food industry and potential solutions were discussed. This summit happens every year and the member regions are Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others.

Another important term to consider here in this article is carbon footprint. Carbon footprint means the quantity or measure of CO2 and other gases released by any product over the period of it’s entire life cycle  (Rondoni and Grasso, 2021). The carbon footprint reduction takes into consideration everything right from farm to fork. For example, Tractors are used by a farm to grow fodder for meat, energy is consumed for maintenance of animals on a farm, transportation is done from farm to factory. Energy and water consumption is done in processing of meat, energy is used packaging material production and transport till factory and transportation from factory to supermarkets. Energy costs are associated with storage of these products in supermarkets. Consumer comes in a private vehicle to purchase this meat and takes home, heats/cooks it.  ALL of these activities generate Carbon footprints in different quantities.

The first step

to achieving net zero emissions and reducing carbon footprints is to determine where GHG emissions are emanating from. Not just the manufacturing process, but the entire supply chain has to be considered right from raw material sourcing to final transportation till end user. This helps in estimating the GHG emissions produced in each process. Sector wise there is a big difference. Eg. If meat is produced, then the emissions from growing fodder for the animals which are to be slaughtered and also the emissions of transporting the final product from factory to supermarkets, both have to be considered.

The second step

is energy production management. The food processing industry relies heavily on traditional forms of energy like fossil fuel which is a high GHG emanator. Clean energy and renewable energy alternatives like solar, wind or thermal energy sources need to be adapted on a major scale.

The third step

is to reduce the heat generated in production facilities; a problem faced particularly by the bakery industry. This can be reduced by insulating the premises which will absorb the heat and help in reducing temperatures and fixed periodic maintenance which will help in retaining or increasing efficiency of the equipments.

The fourth step

is to reduce the logistics. Simply put, source or produce the raw materials locally in your area and only import or buy products or ingredients that are non-replaceable from outside your area of production.

The final step

is sustainable packaging. Using recyclable material like glass, metal cans, composite cans is the only way forward and can help greatly reduce GHG emissions and carbon footprints.

Another great way to reduce GHG emissions on the consumer side is considering consumption of plant-based foods. Plant based vegetarian foods generally have lower carbon emissions than animal-based food and require significantly less energy, water and land for production.

Companies for whom above things are not possible, there is a market introduced called the carbon market. It is basically a trading market where carbon credits generated by individuals or companies by saving or reducing carbon footprints are sold to generally to corporates or companies who are looking to reduce their carbon footprints. There are many companies which work as brokers also between the two parties to find and easily facilitate exchanges. The sustainability, fair practices and the longevity of this market remains to be seen in the foreseeable future.

Many countries have set ambitious goals towards net zero emissions in the next 30-50 years and have started working towards it. India for example at the recent COP28 summit has declared to achieve net zero by 2070. Food companies, no doubt are going to play a huge role in helping towards achieving this goal.

Sources:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833523000011
2. An Overview of Carbon Emission Mitigation in the Food Industry: Efforts, Challenges, and Opportunities (Ting et al, 2023)

#Carbon footprints, #netzeroemissions, #GHGemissions, #sustainability, #renewable energy