The theme for World Food Day 2022 was “Leave No One Behind” – a concept which highlights the right of all people to not just food, but also nutrition, peace and equality.
Taking place on October 16th, the annual day sought to raise awareness about how our changing planet has an impact on both food production and distribution. This includes examining how it affects people from across the globe, emphasising how we are all responsible in ensuring the creation of an inclusive and sustainable future.
Despite attempts to build a better, fairer world – many people are being left behind with regards to human development, innovation and economic growth. The disparity of wealth between countries is significant, and more than 700 million people still live in extreme poverty.[1] This means that millions cannot afford a healthy diet which consequently puts them at high risk for food insecurity, malnutrition and chronic illness.
However – the issue doesn’t stop at affordability. Although we’re producing enough food, accessibility remains a big problem which has been made worse by challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, conflict, rising prices and international tensions.
To achieve the goals outlined by World Food Day, it’s vital that businesses operating in the food and beverage industry participate in sustainable food practices – and this includes implementing sustainable supply chains.
This means ensuring that commodities are being sourced in a way that doesn’t compromise or damage the land it is grown on, whilst also keeping waste and carbon emissions to a minimum during the transportation and manufacturing process. A sustainable supply chain also encompasses fair labour conditions to stop worker exploitation and help improve overall working conditions for those harvesting, packing and transporting the agricultural commodities which are integral to your business.
Examining your existing supply chain therefore helps you to reveal any unethical practices and gives you a unique opportunity to rectify areas of unsustainability.
Implementing sustainability across the supply chain allows you to examine third party practices and gives you valuable insight into how and where your commodities are resourced.
This process can highlight any areas of unsustainability – providing you with the information needed to intervene and instigate positive change. This could include financially supporting third party suppliers to become more sustainable (e.g. through carbon insetting) – or in some cases, swapping to a new supplier entirely.
In addition to caring for the planet, implementing sustainability across the supply chain can help to futureproof your organisation. The benefits it brings from a commercial perspective have been widely acknowledged across the food and drinks industry. For example the Food and Drink Federation (FDA) state that “[…] through supply chain sustainability, companies protect the long-term viability of their business and secure social license to operate.”[2]
Creating sustainable supply chains shows that your business is taking into consideration the people and places behind your products and services. It demonstrates that you’re actively trying to ensure that workers are not being exploited, and that your operations are having a minimal impact on the environment.
A sustainable supply chain essentially supports your business in thriving under increasingly stringent environmental legislation by ensuring that it stays compliant. This can additionally attract the right sort of investment and support from customers and businesses who are looking to purchase from, or work with, organisations that have proven green credentials.
In a time where businesses are looking to expand their green portfolio and make more ethical investments, being able to demonstrate a sustainable supply chain is incredibly useful and offers your organisation valuable opportunities to stand out in a competitive market.
If you’re looking to implement sustainability across the entire supply chain – we can help.
Before you can implement sustainable supply chains, you must be able to identify your organisations main areas of unsustainability.
This involves measuring, tracking and reporting on key emissions. This data gives you clear insight into what practices need to be changed to achieve real sustainability, and simultaneously demonstrates an active commitment to reducing your carbon footprint.
Whilst manually tracking emissions can be difficult, our dedicated technology streamlines the entire process and automatically collates this information to make the reporting process so much simpler.
To find out more, or to book your free demo please get in touch here.
[2] Sustainable supply chains | The Food & Drink Federation (fdf.org.uk)
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