“Nobody cares about sustainability.” I’ve lost track of the number of CPG executives who’ve said these exact words to me lately.
It’s always off the record, of course and often followed by an embarrassed chuckle and nods all round. Occasionally, with American top brass, there’s a follow-up qualifier – that things aren’t quite so dire in Europe – but as a general temperature check on the food and beverage industry’s commitment to tackling climate change, these asides tell me that the forecast is bleak.
Food industry under pressure as climate promises falter
For context, let’s remind ourselves of the scale of the problem.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system. That includes agriculture – by far the biggest emitter, responsible for around 25% – as well as food production, packaging, transport and waste.
Can I say it again? 33%.
Turn the clock back a couple of years and ESG – environmental, social and governance principles – were high on the agenda for most manufacturers. But things have shifted.
Geopolitical instability (Ukraine, Trump-era tariffs and regulatory upheaval) has made supply chains more fragile. Meanwhile, an enduring cost of living crisis continues to squeeze consumer spending power. In short: food needs to be cheaper at a time when the costs of producing it are soaring.
From ESG to SOS: Why sustainability has slipped down the agenda
In this perfect storm, climate initiatives are often the first casualty. The old saying that morality is a luxury of the well-fed feels uncomfortably apt.
But here’s the bitter irony: many of the reasons core commodity prices are soaring are directly linked to climate change. Look at cocoa – prolonged drought and poor management have driven prices to record highs. Olive oil is up 100% in some markets. Rice yields are under threat from extreme weather. And warming seas are devastating global fish stocks.
So yes, tackling climate change might be painful. It might be costly. But failing to act costs more.
All of us – brands, suppliers, retailers – must shoulder the burden of responsibility and do the hard work of driving emissions down across the food system. That includes industry media like us at FoodNavigator too.
That’s why, despite waning commitment in parts of the industry, we’re leaning in and not backing out.
We’ve designated September as Climate Smart month across our food titles. The centrepiece is FoodNavigator’s Climate Smart Food 2025 – a free-to-attend digital broadcast series that will spotlight the technologies, innovators and strategies that are shaping a more sustainable system.
But that’s not all. This three-part series has been produced without a single air mile. It has been filmed remotely or in person from our own backyards across the UK, Washington, New York and Singapore. Plus, we’ve worked with William Reed’s head of sustainability and partnered with UK-based Carbon Footprint to offset the emissions from both production and your attendance, making this – I’m proud to say – our first ever climate neutral event.
So please join us. Lean in, listen, challenge and contribute. Help to show that doing nothing is not an option. Together, we can stand shoulder to shoulder and drive change from insight to action.
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Lead the transition
Climate Smart Food will be broadcast across three weeks on September 9, 16 and 23.
We will cover the following topics:
Smart farming, which exams how tech and innovation at farm level can boost resilience, cut emissions and improve sourcing. Highlights include segments on how Kraft Heinz is protecting its tomato supply, Nestlé’s strategy for climate smart cocoa, the evolution of vertical farming and a look at the autonomous tractor Jeremy Clarkson describes as the ‘coolest machine in the world’.
Circular processing, explores food processing to cut waste, lower emissions and create new value from existing resources and includes features on Heineken’s plan to turn apple pulp into power, paddy-free rice manufacture, a pitch slam from start-ups who are winning with waste and a fascinating look on how AI is optimising valoristion.
Packaging and labelling, which bring practical insight on how packaging and labelling can build consumer trust while meeting compliance targets. We’ll hear from Mars on its pivot to paper packaging, meet the retailers reimagining refillable technologies, explore climate conscious consumer sentiment and simple ways brands can communicate their ESG messages using connected packaging.
Register your attendance here.
