Sustainability Science

Following Walmart CEO’s commitment to sourcing 20 key commodities more sustainably by 2025, the nationwide superstore has shifted its focus to beef.

CEO Doug McMillon addressed that the chain aims to to source beef products more sustainably by 2025. With main priorities being soil health, animal welfare and responsible use of antibiotics. 

McMillon also stated that the company will focus on transparency, new partnerships and collaboration with customers and suppliers.

Dole Packaged Foods and Dole Asia Fresh, which are divisions of Dole Asia Holdings, announced plans to move toward zero fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025.

Short of wasting all this food, isn’t the food industry set up to donate products to food banks or large school systems feeding their communities? How could the supply chain be altered to make the industry more sustainable?

Yes, some of this is happening. But again, this requires a different distribution capacity and takes time to adjust to. Food waste has been a big problem in the U.S. food system with many causes. According to a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, globally around one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted along the food chain from production to consumption. This is exacerbated in the pandemic. Our food system travels long distances, on average 1,200-1,500 miles, to get to the plate. It’s a complex problem that requires creative solutions from productivity, ecosystem diversity, supply chain, technology and consumer behavior issues.

Sustainability
Quinn explained that the Blücher team had designed the drainage solutions to ensure that they were as sustainable as possible, all the way through from production materials to use and end of life.

The stainless steel Blücher use is 100 per cent recyclable. However in a drainage system it’s not just the material it’s made from that is important, but the design can also have an effect on water consumption.

“Breweries can really see the value in Blücher HygienicPro because they know how much water can be saved with this new technology,” Quinn said.

Improving visibility across the supply chain means knowing where food waste is generated. It puts organizations like yours in a position to identify possible causes and take preventative action.
This demands the capture of complex data from multiple sources – in real time – from the entire enterprise. Vital information that Quality Management and EHS Systems are designed to deliver.

The Scottish multinational brewery and pub chain announced yesterday it became carbon negative, which makes it the world’s first international beer business to reach this status.

Thanks to a £30 million investment plan, BrewDog launched a series of unprecedented initiatives to remove carbon from the atmosphere and so help the fight against climate change.

CG brands including 3M, Coca-Cola, P&G and Unilever have solidified their obligations to developing a circular economy by extending their capital commitments with the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund (CLIF). Their investments are directed to support recycling infrastructure and spur growth and tech innovation around end markets for post-consumer materials across North America.

Alex Morgan, chief markets officer at the Rainforest Alliance, said: “We’re delighted Nestle is strengthening its position in the cocoa sector and unifying its responsible cocoa sourcing commitment across all of its portfolios.

“Our certification programmes continue to connect companies, consumers, farmers and businesses committed to protecting the health of ecosystems, workers, and communities by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of food producers.”

The coronavirus pandemic is short-circuiting the global food supply chain, disrupting the seafood, dairy and almond industries.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently reported that the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé, has stopped buying Cargill’s Brazilian soy because of concerns about the link to deforestation.

The group, which operates 4,500 locations around the world, has committed to making its supply chain more sustainable and environmentally-friendly by reducing food waste and transport emissions. The installation of these gardens ties in with overall company aims to boost food traceability, reduce food waste from its restaurants by 30% by 2020, and to reduce the environmental footprint of its produce supply chain. This forms part of the company’s Planet 21 sustainability strategy. In 2012, AccorHotels set targets for 2020 in the areas of eco-design, energy efficiency, water stewardship and sustainably sourced food.

More than 50% of water used in US beef production is dedicated to irrigating the row crops that become feed for cattle. By using new irrigation technology, farmers, can greatly reduce the amount of water needed for row crop irrigation and improve the environmental impact of the beef supply chain, the companies say.