Sustainable sourcing

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With consumers increasingly conscious of the food industry's supply chain, April Waterston investigates the role sustainable sourcing plays in onboard catering development

Of all the shows, movies and documentaries I consumed during the early days of the pandemic lockdown, Netflix’s Seaspiracy still haunts me to this day.

The documentary unpacked the fishing industry, debunking myths about sustainability and exposing harsh truths about what really goes on, unseen, in the middle of those vast oceans.

I’ve long been an advocate for animal rights, but I was shocked to hear of the wider impact of the industry. Bold claims by the documentary included harrowing statistics, stating 24,000 fishing workers die at work each year, longline boats set enough fishing line into the ocean to wrap around the earth 500 times, and bottom trawling in the ocean releases as much carbon as air travel. Suddenly animal welfare became just one of many considerations, and sustainable , ethical credentials across the entire supply chain was brought into very sharp focus.

Demand for responsible sourcing

I’m not alone. Research by Nestlé Professional in September 2021 found that responsible sourcing and animal welfare were a key concern for consumers, with 77% concerned with animal welfare and 76% agreeing that responsible production in farming, fishing and agriculture are of importance. Many of these would pay a premium too, with 31% agreeing they would pay slightly more when purchasing food and drink products that protected animal welfare.

The issues of sourcing and seasonality are moving up the agenda. Local sourcing is ranked important to 72% of consumers and seasonality important to 65% when choosing food & drink.

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Katya Simmons, managing director Nestlé Professional UK&I, comments: “These findings show a sizeable gap between what consumers want and what they're currently being served. Despite this, the areas highlighted for improvement can be easily implemented by food operators. As well as injecting a welcome boost of creativity in their operations, the benefits are wide-ranging – improving staff morale as well as increasing customer loyalty.”

Bring it onboard

“Airlines are definitely interested and thinking about these issues,” says Laura Schaadt, joint-MD at German caterer Frankenberg. “The key to sustainable sourcing is sourcing locally and collaborating closely with your suppliers. We have very long-term relationships with our suppliers so we can be sure they are honest and trustworthy. These relationships make a big difference because it is easier to have a full understanding of what your suppliers are doing and absolute faith in the product you buy.”

However, Schlaadt points out that making changes to onboard menus in the current postCovid climate is not easy. “Part of the issue currently is the fact that normal menu cards have been removed from aircraft. If you are investing a little more in sustainable or organic credentials, you want to be able to benefit from some related marketing. If you are selling a sustainable/ organic product you need to be able to explain the back story of the meals so passengers fully appreciated what you are offering them. When they know the details of the product and those details are all good, they will definitely enjoy the meal more. These things go together and we are hopeful onboard menus will return soon.

“Airlines tell us food will be an important differentiator in the recovery. They are not predicting a price war and if prices remain up, passenger expectations rise and food and beverage is one of the most cost effective ways to add value."

Top priorities

Another caterer making responsible sourcing a priority is dnata Catering. “Ethical and sustainable procurement is one of our top priorities and is non-negotiable in our business,” says Stephen Schwartz, general manager procurement, dnata Catering Australia. “It is a requirement of our suppliers to have in place and adhere to best practice corporate governance standards and to ensure they operate ethically at all times. In the workplace this includes health and safety, human rights and workplace conditions. Environmentally it includes carbon footprint reduction, recycling and even the packaging we receive the products in. In our food supply chain it includes animal welfare and growing practices.”

Claudia Frösler-Witt, director retail programme management at Retail inMotion, echoes this sentiment. “Ethical sourcing and product sustainability have become increasingly important in the last few years and have evolved from a trend to being

The key to sustainable sourcing is sourcing locally and collaborating with your suppliers

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incorporated into our daily business. This is why we are continuously working on methods to consider this aspect when developing a suitable retail programme for our airline customers. For example, for one of our airline customers we developed a tool that helps us evaluate a product’s degree of sustainability before making a listing decision. The evaluation includes various factors such as product ingredients, ecological footprint, creating awareness and brand responsibility. At the same time, we are also considering the commercial factors of the project.”

A helping hand

There are a number of accreditations and governing bodies that can offer guidance on suppliers. For example, in late 2021 the Marine Conservation Society launched a new tool called the Good Fish Guide for Business.

The guide rates seafood based on where and how it is caught or farmed using a simple traffic light system. Green is ‘Best Choice’ and red is ‘Fish to Avoid’. Ratings are based on impacts such as bycatch, habitat damage and overfishing for wild seafood, and fish feed and environmental impacts for farmed seafood.

Jack Clarke, Sustainable Seafood Advocate at the Marine Conservation Society, says: “After more than a year of exploring consumer attitudes and values, it’s clear that sustainability sells. The Good Fish Guide for Business is a way of making it easier for businesses to support their customers and provide sustainablysourced seafood, rigorously assessed by the experts at the Good Fish Guide.”

Many companies also work with Sedex, an ethical trade membership organisation which aims to help businesses improve working conditions in global supply chains. Through Sedex, over 60,000 member organisations from over 180 countries can exchange data, manage business risk, meet compliance and drive positive impacts.

Quality control

Responsible sourcing not only results in a clear conscience but also better quality products.

“To produce quality products, you must use quality products,” explains Robert Smithson, head of culinary, dnata Catering Australia. “This is why we only partner with suppliers that pass our thorough onboarding process, with a strong emphasis on ethical considerations and sustainability.

“To help us deliver quality products, we partner with Australian businesses that align with our values and place the same importance on these ethical considerations as we do. Companies like Macka’s Australian Black Angus, Humpty Doo Barramundi and Huon Aquaculture are leading the way in their respective markets and produce some of the best quality produce in Australia.”

Anita Visvanath, category manager F&B, Retail inMotion, looks for key characteristics when choosing suppliers. “In terms of product ingredients, regional origin and characteristics like vegan, vegetarian, organic and clean label are important ethical parameters," she says. "We use data from suppliers to identify those that strive to be carbon neutral, offset emissions or reduce waste in their production process. A commitment towards sourcing fair trade products and actively donating to charitable or ecological causes is also a positive indicator.” •