World Food Day - Q3 2023

World Food Day

Including a special series focused on Sustainable Packaging

“To reach food security and conserve natural resources, agri-food systems must use and manage water smarter.”

Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO Page

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“What if food could help tackle climate change? What if it could build biodiversity?”

Emma Elobeid, Senior Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Page 06

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Water efficiency: how to end hunger with smarter water use

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Agriculture is the largest water user, accounting for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals. To meet increased demand for food, feed and fibre by 2050, we will need 35% more water resources. This need comes amid climate change intensification, competition from other sectors, population growth and urbanisation. To reach food security and conserve natural resources, agri-food systems must use and manage water smarter.

Techniques for water efficiency

Globally, irrigated land produces 40% of food from 20% of arable land. Deploying new and traditional techniques — such as drip irrigation and African half-moon ploughing techniques — can significantly boost water efficiency, helping 2.4 billion people in water-stressed countries.

Rainwater harvesting, reuse of treated sewage water and desalination are feasible and scalable options. Equitable access to water requires targeted investments in infrastructure modernisation, institutional restructuring and upgrading the technical capacities of farmers and water managers.

Softening water-related disasters

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More than 90% of natural disasters are water-related. Such extreme events are more frequent and intense with climate change; agriculture is often the first victim. Preparing for droughts through early-warning systems enabling proactive responses is vital. Ecosystem restoration to provide buffers against climate extremes is also important.

Meanwhile, floods caused global losses of around USD20 billion in 2021. Ecosystem-based solutions for flood management, agricultural land management, wetland storage and other soil and water conservation can help reduce floods and their impacts.

Integrated land and water management can provide multiple benefits. In Sri Lanka and Zambia, for example, FAO is piloting multifunctional paddy fields for fish and shrimp farming, in addition to rice production. Such value-added infrastructure generates benefits by recharging groundwater, controlling floods and providing ecosystem services while boosting livelihoods.

A blue transformation for

water action

As the number of hunger rises and biodiversity dwindles, we must sustainably develop our aquatic food systems through a ‘Blue Transformation,’ which promotes the sustainable intensification of aquaculture and fisheries — and upgrades value chains to address issues such as food loss, waste and wiser water use. Driving water action through sustainable, resilient and equitable agri-food systems will reduce hunger and poverty.

Maria Helena Semedo Deputy DirectorGeneral, FAO

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As water scarcity grows and climate change brings intense droughts and floods, agriculture must forge a new relationship with water to end hunger.

“In the battle against global hunger and the pursuit of resilient food systems, one crucial group emerges as the unsung heroes: the farmers.”

Arianna Giuliodori

Secretary General, World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO)

need to radically transform our food systems – the way we produce and consume food – to feed the world’s growing population.”

Martien van Nieuwkoop

World Bank Global Director for Agriculture & Food

“Retailers have a powerful opportunity to help their customers buy what they need, avoid waste and help fight climate change. ”

Caroline Conroy

Specialist for Household Food Waste Prevention, WRAP

Agriculture is the largest water user, accounting for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals.

Digital farming solutions: how to adopt ‘winwin’ approach to sustainable agriculture

A digitally connected mindset in agriculture is key to implementing sustainable practices across the supply chain and creating shared commercial value for all stakeholders involved.

Embracing sustainability and pursuing profitability with purpose are essential dimensions of a modern, responsible agribusiness business strategy.

Sidhartha Bhandari Global Practice Lead, Food and Agriculture, Publicis Sapient

This transformative mindset, supported by advancements in digital, data and AI, represents a fundamental reorientation of business priorities that recognise the interconnectedness of economic, social and environmental factors crucial for long-term resilience.

Helping farmers thrive digitally

To improve outcomes for farmers, agribusinesses, their customers and the end consumer, digital transformation company Publicis Sapient is empowering agribusinesses globally to reimagine relationships and modernise ways of working across the supply chain while helping to develop sustainable business processes.

Sid Bhandari, Global Practice Lead, Food and Agriculture, Publicis Sapient says: “Postpandemic, there has been a renewed focus for agribusinesses globally to understand how sustainability can be at the centre of their business progress. Farmers are crucial in this process to achieve those goals. Given our richness of experience from ‘farm to boardroom,’ we are in the middle of this, helping clients progress on their sustainability goals in a holistic way.”

For instance, their work with a global commodities trading business, operating in 80 countries for 150+ years, has helped deliver economic, social and environmental benefits for multiple stakeholders across the supply chain.

“This involved co-creating a unified farmercentric digital solution for 20,000 farmers across 17 countries, which enabled farmers to be more effective at commercial arrangements for their commodities while engaging with agribusinesses — be it faster payments, better commodity prices and enhanced inventory visibility,” explains Bhandari.

Getting more out of data to achieve profitability with purpose

Publicis Sapient helps clients maximise value

from their data by examining every aspect of the business to ensure sustainable practices. “For example, a cocoa importer based in EU must certify that every bean is deforestation-free. We partnered with them to meet their immediate goals and inspired the agribusiness to achieve co-benefits like fair wages and no child labour, delivered at an incremental cost to deforestation data,” explains Shailesh Joshi, Managing Partner.

They also help to provide data analysis on practices and interactions throughout supply chains, so the focus is also to create commercial value for participants. For instance, a big challenge today is to calculate accurate and reliable value of carbon abated in the supply chain. Joshi adds: “We build products and services to measure carbon intensity at various stages of the supply chain — to optimise not just cost but carbon footprint, too. It’s therefore a win-win for sustainability and business.” He cites the example of measuring the effectiveness of regenerative practices for farmers and looking at farming waste.

AI further levels the playing for farmer inclusion

Joshi believes artificial intelligence (AI) will become a key technology for future growth and farmer inclusivity. The advancements in generative AI (GenAI) have opened up a host of use cases across precision farming, crop breeding, supply chain, marketing and sales.

For instance, the agriculture supply chains are marred by manual processes, documentation and emails. According to a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the agricultural supply chain generates an estimated 1.5 trillion documents and 100 billion emails per year. GenAI is ideal to reduce these and effectively extract information from them to bring efficiencies, cost savings and ease of doing business both for agribusiness and farmers.

As the technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more impactful applications of GenAI in this sector to foster equity in the supply chain while furthering the sustainability agenda globally.

Enabling farmers to be more effective at commercial arrangements for their commodities while engaging with agribusinesses.

Sailesh Joshi Managing Partner, Energy & Commodities, Publicis Sapient

Five critical actions to help feed the world’s growing population

The world is producing more food than ever. But more people than ever — around 800 million — don’t know where their next meal will come from.

Food crises are complex, and the temptation is to fix the symptom rather than identify the cause. The underlying systemic issue remains: We need to radically transform our food systems – the way we produce and consume food – to feed the world’s growing population.

Five critical actions to transform food systems Incentives. Every year, governments around the world provide $800 billion in food production incentives, leading to negative climate and environmental outcomes while only a third of the subsidies are actually reaching farmers. Decoupling production incentives and paying farms to improve soil health and sequester carbon in the ground, while producing food, is key.

Innovation. Public spending on agricultural research and development can give returns of up to 44%. Innovation can deliver more productive food systems that address global hunger and climate change. Increasing public research and innovation budgets for the food system to at least 1% of agriculture GDP is a good start.

Institutions. Export bans and non-tariff trade barriers are causing self-inflicted damage to the food system. Predictable and transparent institutions that can scale well-targeted safety nets, such as in-kind or cash transfers to feed the poor, will reduce the need for reactive policies.

Information. Uncertainty on everything from weather to prices and the number of hungry people can lead us astray. Everyone can use open data, and it is inexpensive to replicate. The marginal cost of delivering digital goods to network-connected devices is nearly zero. Mandating open data from the public sector can help prevent future crises.

Investments. Most companies perform poorly when it comes to climate change, progress on human rights and contributions to nutritious diets. By stepping up environmental, social and governance standards, the private sector must provide sustainable livelihoods for farmers, decent employment for workers and nutritious choices for consumers — without depleting natural resources — to reach global zero hunger.

The world is making positive steps, but accelerating global food system transformation will reduce hunger and greenhouse gases while boosting economic growth that benefits the poorest and most vulnerable.

Martien van Nieuwkoop is the World Bank’s Global Director for the Agriculture and Food Global Practice. He provides leadership to the formulation and implementation of the Bank’s strategy and knowledge in agriculture and food, overseeing the operationalisation of the Bank’s vision for this sector in regional and country programmes.

Martien van Nieuwkoop Global Director for Agriculture and Food, World Bank

This food crisis is deadly: it’s a race against time

choose crops, which have much higher profit margins, and they use the surplus income to start additional businesses. It’s easy to see why they report a much greater sense of food and livelihood security now.

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There are over 800 million people in the world who live every day challenged by food insecurity. It is a crisis because people cannot access enough nutritious food to meet their basic needs.

The unfortunate reality is that many people I come across, with the Red Cross in East Africa, are some of the most acutely food insecure in the world. Their determination and resourcefulness are overwhelming. They should get the support they need.

Extreme weather and price hikes

Extreme weather, droughts or floods — leading to poor harvests — is part of the problem. Communities are left with little food supply and struggle to get through what’s called the lean season in sub-Saharan Africa (the months between harvests, usually June–November).

The situation right now is severe. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are providing emergency humanitarian relief across affected areas in East, West, Southern and Central Africa. These communities contribute least to the climate crisis yet find themselves at the centre of its devastation.

To make matters worse, the cost of everything has gone up; so, even

in places where food is readily available, affordability is low. For example, in the Sahel and West Africa regions, the price of staple cereals has gone up between 30% and 40% compared to the average of the last five years.

Finding ways to support communities

The duration and severity of these challenges are depleting people’s resilience; communities need our help now. Our staff and volunteers are providing essential relief, such as food, water, cash and malnutrition assistance while supporting sustainable solutions to climate change. For example, we are helping farmers diversify their income and grow crops that are more resilient to extreme weather.

Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are supporting farming co-operatives, such as the allfemale Malal (‘good luck’) co-op in Mauritania, West Africa, to bounce back. They use our cash grants to buy watering materials and fences, which protect their crops from the hot sands whipped up during the dry season. Technical agriculture training has also helped them

Using forecasts and data to act early

The Mauritanian Red Crescent Society is working with its Government Food and Agriculture Departments to support volunteer farmers, herders and nurses in reporting food security data to the Government in almost real-time.

Nywenna is one of these volunteers. She leads the Elveiya village reporting group. She told us she is proud of her community and how they are asking for support to make their lives better than they were, to help with their agriculture and protect their animals. Food security can be managed best when people are given the information, tools and opportunities to advocate for themselves. Warning signs of an emerging food crisis can also be spotted early, and both governments and supporting charities can act more quickly to stop this kind of crisis in its tracks.

Nature-based solutions

Another key area of work for us is what’s referred to as naturebased solutions. In Lamu, Eastern Kenya, thanks to the support of funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by Postcode Planet Trust, we are partnering with, we are partnering with WWF UK and WWF Kenya to restore degraded forests, fields and floodplains. These nature-based actions will help communities both mitigate and adapt to the impacts of the changing climate.

We are proud to be working in strong partnerships to deliver new strategies — often simple, costeffective ones — that are making a real difference. For us, it’s clear that the challenge of food insecurity is not insurmountable — solutions are out there, but it’s a race against time.

Photo provided by Ester Ruth Mbabazi for British Red Cross

Shadrack Watho East Africa Programme Manager, British Red Cross

The cost of everything has gone up; so, even in places where food is readily available, affordability is low.

How better packaging can make food systems more resilient

Emma Elobeid Senior Editor,

How to change the system — one food product at a time

Our current, linear food system is not only fuelling climate change and driving biodiversity loss but increasingly feeling its twin impacts. Cause and effect can be seen through the microcosm of any kitchen.

The designed sameness of kitchen cabinets is matched by the homogeneity of their contents; in today’s food system, just four staple crops (corn, rice, potatoes and wheat) provide 60% of the world’s calories.

Flaws of our food system

Crumbs swept off surfaces represent the 39 million hectares of soil degraded fuelled by intensive agricultural practices each year. Every overripe banana or leftover lunch thrown away forms a mere fraction of the six rubbish trucks of edible food wasted every second.

Meanwhile, many everyday food products are under threat because of this system — from flooded fields of grain to broccoli bolting under extreme weather conditions. Across the world, farmers and food producers are increasingly struggling to secure productivity in these volatile conditions, impacting their ability to derive long-term profitability from the current linear system.

Industries can change our story

Imagine if, instead of being stuck in this villain/victim loop, our food system could actively do something about these interconnected challenges. What if food could help tackle climate change? What if it could build biodiversity?

Businesses and retailers have

the power to change the story of food — and the fate of our future as a species — by comprehensively applying the principles of circular design to what is eaten, which drives the ingredients that are grown and how they are produced.

Where sustainability can start Farm-level biodiversity can be boosted by swapping miles of monocrops for a more diverse mix of crops and livestock. Designing products that eliminate waste — by using every possible part of a plant and prioritising upcycled ingredients — will help reduce the amount of land needed to provide us all with food. Sourcing regeneratively produced ingredients can also help farmers and communities adapt to climate change on the ground by stabilising soil structures, increasing landscape resilience and safeguarding yields against extreme weather events. By pioneering these products, brands and retailers can be the change we need to see.

Phillip Hanefeld

Better packaging can play a part in strengthening the resilience of our fragile food systems. A new report has a range of suggestions highlighting how this could work in practice.

The world relies on food systems to drive prosperity and drastically reduce undernutrition and hunger. Recently, however, it’s become glaringly apparent that these same systems are fragile and vulnerable to external shocks. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have increased food insecurity worldwide, while climate change and biodiversity loss pose a growing threat to food production.

Renewable materials company Stora Enso believes that addressing these shortfalls requires a radical change to the way we produce and consume food, and all parties in the food value chain have a role to play. To that end, it has published a new report — called Food packaging for better food systems — which highlights 4 areas and 13 impact opportunities where packaging can play a part in strengthening food system resilience. These include packaging solutions with optimised design and smart technologies to promote a healthy diet; well-designed packaging that can increase consumer awareness of how to reduce food loss and waste; and recycling and reusing packaging — and using alternative packaging materials — to protect and restore land and reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans.

Collaboration is the key to making lasting change a reality

This is moving beyond ‘responsible packaging’, insists Phillip Hanefeld, SVP Innovation and Research & Development at Stora Enso. It’s about embracing new solutions and making a seismic shift in behaviour and business models. “To achieve greater food systems sustainability, we need to adopt a holistic approach to solve more than agricultural and production challenges,” he says. “It is critical to consider how other factors, like packaging, can help with this task. Food systems sustainability is a driver for packaging innovation at Stora Enso where we explore how to limit food waste, reduce raw material usage, and enhance packaging circularity — all in close collaboration with our customers.”

Indeed, ‘collaboration’ is the operative word when it comes to making lasting change in this area, Hanefield admits. “We’re hopeful that the information (in the report) will spark and deepen the much-needed collaboration among stakeholders to optimise the use of our collective resources and make our proposals a reality,” he says.

Paid for by Stora Enso

SVP Innovation and Research & Development, Stora Enso (by email and provided materials)

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Farm-level biodiversity can be boosted by swapping miles of monocrops for a more diverse mix of crops and livestock.

Scan the QR code to find out how businesses and innovators across the food system can help design a better future today with The Big Food Redesign Challenge.

WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway

Why we need to provide food security and protect the environment

By 2050, the global population could be 10 billion people. The land available to feed them is not increasing; and global food security has been shown to be more fragile than many thought. We must cope with a warming planet and conserve global biodiversity. To meet these challenges, we need innovations and new technologies.

productive agricultural land to ensure food security, with other land prioritised for nature and other uses. By embracing new technology, we can consolidate the productivity gains of the Green Revolution, ensuring food security, whilst also prioritising biodiversity and tackling climate change.

Policy threats, and opportunities

Dave Bench Chief Executive, CropLife UK

Food vulnerability

Covid-19 and the Ukraine war have stretched global supply chains and, with climate change, the issue of food security has risen up the agenda. Increased prosperity in the developing world and a global middle class set to hit 5 billion in the coming decade will lead to a much higher demand for meat. We need a global solution embracing innovation and technological advances.

A new revolution

The 1960s’ Green Revolution saw more people fed well than ever before. However, this came at a cost; farming enough land to feed billions affected natural environments. Today we have an opportunity; to confront the challenges of global food insecurity, but also to look after the natural environment and contribute to carbon net zero. Advances in genetics, chemical & biological plant protection, and other emerging technologies mean that we can do more with less. This new revolution should use the most

To ensure everyone has access to healthy and sustainable food, industry competitors must work together. By knowledge-sharing, they can drive change at speed and scale.

With the global population projected to increase by nearly 2 billion in the next 30 years, and with the climate crisis hampering food production, global food systems are under strain like never before.

Mitigating crises with sustainable food

In many developed countries, policymakers have failed to wake up to the reality that food security is threatened. Productivity has been secondary to other factors in agricultural policy. This is unsustainable. Governments must welcome the opportunities that innovative techniques and technologies present. We must embrace productive agriculture at home.

A path forward

Agriculture has changed in recent decades and farming will be unrecognisable in less than a generation. CropLife members are creating a wide range of new tools and techniques for growers; we need to work with governments to make these available to farmers. By championing innovation, fit for purpose regulation, and supporting sustainable practices, we can ensure a healthy agricultural landscape for future generations. Let’s lead the way to a more sustainable future.

WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway

The challenge isn’t simply to make sure everyone has ‘enough’ food, explains Sophie Ryan, CEO of Global Salmon Initiative (GSI). What ends up on people’s plates needs to be healthy, nutritious and sustainable — for that, food systems need to change drastically at speed and scale. “We must find ways to produce more while using less and have the least possible impact on the environment,” she

explains.

GSI is an initiative formed by leading stakeholders in the salmon farming sector, each pledging to work collaboratively to address food systems challenges like reducing carbon footprint and making a positive difference to people and the planet.

Improving best practices and enhancing transparency

By sharing knowledge, members can improve best practices, enhance industry transparency and drive innovations along the supply chain to strengthen environmental performance. That’s important because salmon that is sustainably fished or farmed is rich in micronutrients and macronutrients, such as omega-3

fatty acids, which have been scientifically proven to support optimal heart and brain health and has one of the lowest greenhouse gas profiles of all animal protein sources.

Collaborating to establish standards

For this to work, collaboration is key. “Our members realised that they faced a shared challenge of improving their sustainability performance and reputation for environmental stewardship,” says Ryan. “Despite being competitors, they knew they had to work together.”

In the past decade, GSI has published annual Sustainability Reports documenting industry progress against 15 environmental and social metrics — data that has been used as an industry benchmark to hold members accountable; identify areas for improvement; recognise where progress has been made and the opportunities to learn from each other.

This knowledge-sharing model is now being trialed in other sectors — across seafood and beyond. “We need to be united — farmers, retailers, consumers, scientists and policymakers — to ensure that everyone has access to healthy and sustainable food from a resilient food system,” insists Ryan.

Sophie Ryan

CEO, Global Salmon Initiative (GSI)

How collaboration can drive sustainable change in the food industry

Paid for by GSI

Paid for by CropLife UK

Croplife.uk

We must deliver food security for an increasing global population, whilst at the same time meeting the challenges of climate change and conserving our natural environment.

We need a global solution embracing innovation and technological advances.

The power farmers have to build sustainable, resilient food systems

Farmers hold the key to ensuring a positive impact on nature and meeting the needs of a growing global population with fresh, nutritious food. Lab-grown food isn’t the answer to hunger or environmental issues.

In the battle against global hunger and the pursuit of resilient food systems, one crucial group emerges as the unsung heroes: the farmers. Armed with invaluable traditional knowledge, innovators by nature and necessity, and driven by a passion for taking care of their community’s land, they hold the key to forging a healthier future for our planet.

Farmer solutions to end hunger and restore ecosystems Farmers worldwide are actively working to build a better future for all, yet they cannot tackle global challenges alone. Collaboration among stakeholders is essential to achieving Zero Hunger and restoring the planet’s health.

During the recent UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment, the organisation I have the honour to serve as Secretary General, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), urged the need to rebalance power in the food value chain and foster connections between producers and consumers.

The current unbalanced power dynamic has resulted in a paradox where farmers who feed the world suffer the most from hunger, especially in developing countries. To ensure food security for a growing population amidst climate change and global crises, we must embrace diverse agricultural systems, promote inclusivity and transparency, and encourage research and innovation while preserving tradition.

No reliable evidence compares cell-based to farmer-produced food

Food systems are complex, diverse, and interconnected, so simplistic solutions can’t work. The mirage of lab-grown food, presented as the game-changer that can tackle world hunger and nature deterioration, is a false myth.

WFO, on behalf of over 1.2 billion farmers, has taken a resolute stand against adopting lab-grown as an alternative to the food resulting from agriculture. Such substitutes dismiss farmers’ work and contribution to sustainability and push consumers towards a homogenous dietary model that undermines the tradition, quality, and uniqueness of local food systems. Additionally, cell-based food is failing to demonstrate its long-term health effects.

WFO values innovation and advocates for a bottomup, science-based, result-oriented approach. Farmers, researchers, and stakeholders must work together to develop sustainable and innovative practices to produce, process, distribute and consume healthy, nutritious food.

It is imperative to unlock investments for innovation in ‘real agriculture’ and make it accessible and affordable to all farmers, strengthening their resilience and capacity to feed the world while positively impacting nature. This is the only way to secure a brighter ‘future of food’ for our people and planet.

Arianna Giuliodori Secretary General, World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO)

Farmers who feed the world suffer the most from hunger.

Retailers have a powerful opportunity to help their customers buy what they need, avoid waste and help fight climate change.

Caroline Conroy Specialist for Household Food Waste Prevention, WRAP

Steel packaging: a sustainable solution for a more circular future

Steel packaging, a model material for a circular economy, plays a vital role in battling food waste — one of the greatest challenges we face today.

In the EU, nearly 59 million tonnes of food waste are generated each year (Eurostat 2022), contributing to a staggering 16% of total greenhouse gas emissions produced by the total EU food system. This World Food Day 2023, APEAL is calling for stakeholders throughout the value chain to recognise steel packaging’s pivotal role in combatting food waste.

Why food gets wasted

Food waste is a complex problem that spans all stages of the supply chain. Stringent quality and appearance standards mean that ‘wonky’ food is discarded during production while poor packaging design leads to edible food being spoiled or damaged in transit. The problem persists at home, where a significant proportion of food spoils before consumption and ends up in landfills. The European Commission reports that 46% of food waste occurs at the consumption stage of the supply chain — almost as much as that generated by the primary production (25%) and processing and manufacturing stages (24%) combined.

Steps in the right direction

This year, the European Commission introduced binding food waste reduction targets for EU Member States to achieve by 2030 as part of the revised Waste Framework Directive. These include reducing waste by

10% in processing and 30% in retail and consumption. Realising these goals, however, will demand innovative solutions across the supply chain.

Steel packaging: a sustainable ally

Steel packaging boasts unique qualities that make it an indispensable tool for combatting food waste. Offering 100% barrier protection against light, water and air, steel packaging preserves its contents more effectively than any other packaging material. Food is typically canned within four hours of harvest, ensuring freshness and reducing the likelihood of misshapen or damaged items being discarded.

During transportation, the durability of steel ensures that food is protected against damage — reducing spoilage and waste. And, once food products reach consumers, steel packaging minimises household waste by providing portion-sized items with an extended shelf life and energy-free storage.

As countries observe World Food Day, we must recognise the importance of cutting food waste to mitigate the climate emergency. Providing the longest shelf life of any packaging format — and helping reduce waste during preparation, packing and transport — steel packaging can lead us to a less wasteful world and a truly circular economy.

We’ve all seen the projections, and they’re shocking. More plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 (by weight)1, is just one example. Despite this, the use of plastics, and the resulting plastic waste is projected to almost triple globally by 2060.2

Dr Paul Davidson, Director, Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge, UK Research and Innovation

In tackling a challenge of this size and complexity, it is increasingly clear that multiple interventions, systemic change, and significant investment are needed. The good news, however, is that innovation is playing an increasingly vital role. There are myriad exciting developments and breakthroughs on the horizon, from edible packaging films to novel recycling technologies, and the latest in AI and robotics to identify, track and sort plastic packaging to enable greater circularity.

Helping to drive progress and de-risk much-needed investment is UKRI’s £60million Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP), the largest and most ambitious UK Government investment to date in sustainable plastics research and innovation. With over 80 funded projects, and an expected £220million raised in match funding from industry, SSPP is prioritising interventions in a number of key areas.

We must mainstream ‘reuse and refill’

Many of the world’s largest brands and retailers are already exploring the opportunities for reusing and refilling; but developing a model that works at scale for the whole supply chain, and most importantly for consumers, remains a challenge. To overcome these barriers, SSPP is funding a number of projects, including a major consortium project to create a standardised, full supply chain solution to deliver refill at scale for key food staples and household products. With multi-store trials starting this autumn, it is hoped that this universal end-to-end

solution will become an open source industry standard that can be used anywhere in the world.

Improved standards for food packaging recyclability launch this autumn

Thanks to legislation and fiscal incentives, such as the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax, high quality food-grade recycling, where plastic packaging waste can be recycled to a standard fit for use in new food packaging, is coming on at pace. With funding from SSPP, a ground-breaking mechanical recycling plant for food-grade polypropylene – used in food packaging such as pots and trays – is due to open in autumn 2023. Also due to be fully commissioned this year in Teeside is a world-first chemical recycling plant, which recycles mixed plastics back into the molecular building blocks for virgin plastic production.

Films and flexible packaging under scrutiny

Often dubbed the ‘final frontier of plastics recycling’, films and flexibles are under the spotlight like never before. SSPP is funding innovation at every stage of these packaging types’ life cycles, from material innovation through to collection and recycling, including the UK’s biggest flexible plastic household collection and recycling pilot.

All these innovations will support the growing global push to deliver a step change in our relationship with plastic packaging - and we’re proud to be part of this change.

References

1. Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016

2. Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060, 2022

Paid for by APEAL Find out more at apeal.org

Alexis Van Maercke Secretary General, APEAL

We’re changing our relationship with plastic packaging – for the better

How the flexible packaging of the future can leave plastic and its problems behind

With 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions dependent on the way we produce and consume products and food, sustainable flexible packaging has never been more important.

WITH Flavio Froehli Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Sappi Europe

WRITTEN BY Martin Skegg

In 1907, Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic. It was marketed as ‘the material of a thousand uses’ – by the time of Baekeland’s death in 1944, it was in use in more than 15,000 products. Plastic was the future. The world went crazy for it.

Except plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and is difficult to recycle. According to the OECD, of the 460 million tonnes of plastic produced worldwide in 2019, only 9% was recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, dumpsites or the ocean. Plastic has become the poster child for our consumerist, throwaway society.

Plastic waste impacts

Most plastic waste comes from packaging. For example, in 2021, approximately 583 billion plastic bottles were produced (75 bottles for every adult, child and baby on the planet). Each year, enough bubble wrap is produced to stretch from the earth to the moon. According to WRAP, a global climate action NGO, 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions are dependent on the way we produce and consume products and food. The situation simply isn’t sustainable.

Why we need packaging

Much packaging fulfils a vital function — it keeps food and other goods fresh and protected as well as enabling efficient delivery. It’s also the consumer’s first point of contact with a product.

However, pressure for change in the packaging industry is growing — from consumers and regulators alike. Last year, the EU set out plans to aggressively reduce packaging waste through reuse and recycling, aiming for a 15% reduction per member state per capita. Last year also saw 175 countries endorse the UN Environmental Assembly’s resolution to ban plastic pollution. Of course, plastics will always have their place in the world — numerous important products

simply can’t be made without plastic. But genuine change requires a genuine alternative.

Flexible woodfibre packaging solution

At Sappi, we create woodfibrebased flexible packaging solutions that are, by nature, both renewable and recyclable. And we’re starting from a good place. Recycling rates for paper packaging are high — in the EU, 56.1 million tonnes of paper and board were collected and recycled in 2020, representing a recycling rate of more than 84% — and being driven higher by paper industry initiatives.

In the past, difficulties have arisen when using paper as the primary packaging for sealed foods. As a rule, a barrier is required to protect the product and prevent leakage — and paper doesn’t naturally have such a barrier. So, companies like us have worked to innovate thin dispersion coatings that add barrier functionality without interfering with the subsequent paper recycling process.

From innovation to sustainability

This year, thanks to a major investment in a state-of-the-art

paper machine and team at our Alfeld mill in Germany, Sappi can now add much of the functionality of plastic film packaging to our barrier papers. That means more brands in food, confectionary, cosmetics and other sectors can make the conscious transition out of plastic with confidence.

It’s not easy to invest in and launch new technologies when you are up against a fossil-based material that has been so dominant for so long. But at Sappi, we firmly believe in the innovative potential of woodfibre to create sustainable solutions in flexible packaging and beyond.

That’s why we support initiatives such as the Paperpack Community — a new online platform and community dedicated to allowing paper packaging professionals to connect, learn and share the latest information and insights about fibre-based solutions.

Ultimately, what makes me confident and energised is seeing the kind of futureproof solutions we are developing make a real difference – in the market and the wider, bio-based circular economy.

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INTERVIEW

Buy fresh produce loose: how to help reduce household food waste today

About 70% of UK food waste comes from households; that’s 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Now, we must change how products are packed and sold.

Research from WRAP published last year showed that removing plastic packaging from fresh, uncut fruits and vegetables could reduce plastic and food waste at home. Since then, WRAP has been working with retailers and suppliers on an ambitious pathway to change how we shop and help reduce the 70,000 tonnes of plastics surrounding the fresh fruit and vegetable market every year in the UK.

Loose produce can reduce household food waste

The pathway focuses on the longer-term objective of selling loose — and only loose — while recognising its challenges. In 2021, around 15% of fruit and vegetables were sold loose. Targets would see this double to 30% by the end of 2025 and rise to 50% by the end of 2030. The availability of loose varies depending on the type of supermarket, mainly between convenience stores and superstores, plus whether they have till-weighing capability. To provide consistency, retailers are being asked to sell a loose variety of produce by the end of 2024.

How retailers can help consumers

Retailers have a powerful opportunity to help their customers buy what they need, avoid waste and help

fight climate change. Food retailers and brands can help customers throw away less food by encouraging them to:

• Buy the right amount for their needs

• Keep what is bought at its best

• Use more of what they buy

Impact of small consumer changes

Several retailers have started selling uncut, fresh produce loose; removing date labels; and providing storage guidance to keep fresh produce in the fridge at home. If all three changes are implemented across just five items — apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumbers and potatoes — 100,000 tonnes of household food waste could be prevented annually.

This would remove 10,300 tonnes of plastic packaging and a combined emissions equivalent of 130,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Selling the items loose and removing labels could reduce household food waste by the equivalent of 14 million shopping baskets. This is just the beginning, there is more to do for a greater impact on our environment — and our wallets.

Businesses are urged to take steps now to decrease their environmental impact and mitigate the costs of recycling products and packaging under new Government-legislated obligations.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging will mean that in addition to producers contributing to recycling costs at the far end of the waste management chain, they will also now be expected to fund the collection of packaging waste from households.

George Atkinson, Head of Policy for Valpak, a Reconomy brand, says: “It’s primarily brands and retailers that will need to fund this EPR initiative. The amount they will pay will be dependent on the weight of packaging and its base material. For example, those placing plastic on the UK market

will pay a different amount to those placing paper or wood.”

Penalties for difficult recyclable materials

A crucial part of the EPR initiative is called ‘eco-modulation.’ This will penalise producers placing costly or difficult-to-recycle packaging on the market like expanded polystyrene, which many councils don’t collect because of the costly challenges associated with recycling it.

“Businesses will need to look at the characteristics of their packaging in greater detail than ever before and seek to reduce the

weight, make it recyclable and add recycled content wherever possible,” adds George. Reconomy brand Valpak is a packaging compliance specialist, offering companies a wide range of environmental solutions.

Measuring impacts on the environment

Pete Mitchell, Practice Manager, spearheads the company’s Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) solution, which helps clients mitigate their environmental impacts through audits aimed at finding their highest environmental impacts — or ‘hotspots’ — and target changes to enhance sustainability.

An LCA measures the environmental impact of a product over its entire life cycle (cradleto-grave). Typically, clients focus on the carbon footprint of their products and packaging, but LCA covers a much broader range of environmental impacts caused by products — or organisations — by considering over 30 impact categories that potentially affect human health, land and marine ecosystems and the Earth’s resources.

“While there are delays around the implementation of EPR, it is going to happen,” he says. “It will have major cost implications, and businesses need to take action now to mitigate those costs and reduce their environmental impacts.”

Pete Mitchell Practice Manager,

WRITTEN BY Sheree Hanna

George Atkinson Head of Policy, Valpak

valpak.co.uk

How measuring environmental impact of products will help businesses

Valpak

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Caroline Conroy Specialist for Household Food Waste Prevention, WRAP

How sustainable packaging preserves

Monica Battistella Group Sustainability Manager,

With the global population increasing, climate change seemingly accelerating and geopolitical risks multiplying, preserving food resources and minimising waste are becoming more important. Sustainable packaging solutions that protect and can possibly extend shelf life with the lowest carbon footprint are a necessary part of the solution.

Role of packaging along the supply chain “Food waste is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the U.S.,” says Monica Battistella, Group Sustainability Manager at Taghleef Industries, which designs packaging solutions. “Packaging has a fundamental role to play in waste minimisation because it provides protection to food along the different parts of the value chain. Perhaps not many consumers think of packaging as a way of diminishing greenhouse gases. But that’s what sustainable packaging can do.”

Most companies are committed to dealing with the issue of waste. Food industry players are turning to flexible (rather than rigid or heavier materials) packaging solutions, which provide the best content-to-packaging ratio, are made from less material and optimise space during transport.

Finding the right flexible packaging for customers’ needs Taghleef Industries helps its customers reduce waste by finding

the right sustainable packaging with its widening portfolio of products derived from recycled and renewable resources. They also partner with them to redesign and innovate. “Companies want a sustainable option that provides the same performance and protection as traditional packaging,” says Battistella. “We’re not saying one sustainable material is better than another. There’s a place for different materials — but they do have to be right for the product they are protecting.”

Unfortunately, there are cases where food waste is inevitable. For example, perishable products that have expired; or leftover coffee granules that cannot be efficiently separated from coffee capsules. “In these cases, if traditional packaging is used, food waste will either end up in landfills, missing the opportunity of being organically recycled, or end up within plastic or paper recycling streams, not only losing its potential value but also contaminating the plastic or paper recycling stream itself,” stresses Allegra Muscatello, Product Manager at Taghleef Industries.

Compostable material and alternative polymers

Instead, Muscatello advocates using packaging made from compostable material for some products like the above mentioned ones because, at the end of its life, everything — both the packaging and the food waste inside of it — can be organically recycled. “Several studies have demonstrated that certified compostable packaging, together with food waste in

industrial composting facilities, are metabolised by microorganisms into compost, without affecting its quality,” she explains.

“Additionally, the industry is increasingly exploring the use of food waste as second-generation feedstock to produce such compostable materials. This offers a circular economy solution for food waste valorisation and a sustainable product development at the same time. It’s also turning to innovative biodegradable polymers, which can possibly address the problem of plastic waste regrettably ending in nature and marine environment.”

Consumer awareness of packaging and food waste

From the consumer side, more awareness about food and packaging waste is needed. “The majority of food waste happens at the beginning but also at the end of the value chain and the latter is linked to consumer behaviour,” explains Battistella. “For example, people buy more food than they need; plus, they have there’s a very low little understanding of ‘best before’ dates and will end up throwing perfectly good food.”

More emphasis needs to be placed on how consumers dispose of their food packaging. This means clearer recycling instructions on packaging and standardised regulations.

“Because then — wherever you live — you know exactly what can be recycled and what can’t be,” she says. “Thankfully, I see that most consumers want to do the right thing.”

WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway

Paid for by Taghleef Industries

It’s more important than ever to preserve food resources and reduce food waste. Sustainable packaging solutions help do just that — and in a less carbon-intensive way.

food resources and minimises waste

Taghleef Industries

Allegra Muscatello Product Manager, Taghleef Industries

Perhaps not many consumers think of packaging as a way of diminishing greenhouse gases. But that’s what sustainable packaging can do.

How the pandemic damaged our progress in plastic recycling

Covid-19 put action on plastic pollution at risk, but governments are getting back on track. In tackling this environmental problem, they must make sure not to create new ones.

In early 2020, before Covid upended everything, Pew Charitable Trusts’ Breaking the plastic wave report showed the world was on track to triple the amount of plastic in the sea by 2040. In fewer than 20 years, that 29-million-tonne river of plastic would be heading for our oceans –that’s 50kgs for every one metre of coastline. That report came at a time when public outcry about plastic pollution was at its height and governments and businesses were actively engaged in tackling the problem. So it was shocking that the report also showed that all the international commitments made would only reduce the amount of plastic in the ocean by a mere 7% relative to business as usual. Even if businesses and politicians did everything they promised, plastic pollution would still almost triple.

Pandemic thwarts progress

The pandemic put even these weak promises at risk. The trend towards reusable cups took a hit early on, with some cafés banning them as a precaution. Even when the science showed this was unnecessary, fear was cynically exploited by some in the plastic industry, particularly in the US, with the suggestion that single use was safer.1

Business appetite for reuse is returning

Post-pandemic, plastic is still a major public concern. Businesses are becoming interested in reuse again. More significantly, the UN is issuing a legally binding global treaty with the aim of ending plastic pollution. It intends to tackle the full life cycle of plastics, with potential new targets for reusing, refilling and repairing plastic items.

Getting to the root of throwaway culture

But what we don’t want is problematic single-use plastics replaced by problematic single-use items made from other materials. England’s plastic cutlery and plates ban, for instance, assumes they will be replaced on a like for like basis with wooden cutlery and paper plates. These come with their own environmental impacts. The last thing we should be doing is solving one environmental problem while causing another. The bottom line is that the planet can’t cope with throwaway culture – that’s what needs to change.

References

1. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/43730/reusablessafety-covid-19-health-experts-statement/

Libby Peake Head of Resource Policy, Green Alliance

It intends to tackle the full life cycle of plastics, with potential new targets for reusing, refilling and repairing plastic items.

Working towards more sustainable plastic packaging

Making plastic packaging more environmentally friendly has moved forward considerably in the past 40 years or so, but there are still challenges to tackle.

Recent and upcoming legislative measures aimed at making the industry greener are accelerating change in the plastic packaging industry. One was the introduction of the Plastics Packaging Tax. Nonetheless, the sector still needs support from the Government, brand owners and the public to navigate ongoing challenges.

Plastics recycling challenges

The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the trade representative body for the plastics industry in the UK. Its role is to inform and educate on all the issues affecting its membership comprising some 550 companies.

Brian Lodge, the BPF’s Director of Plastics and Flexible Packaging, says: “The industry has a lot to do to be able to include more recycled material into packaging, as a lot of it can’t be accepted legally for direct food contact at the moment. There are many moving parts in the process that need to come together to make it viable for companies.”

At the same time, the industry has been developing packaging that uses less plastic and is lighter, as well as flexible refill packs. The BPF is also releasing a publicfacing campaign with the Environmental Services Association to communicate the benefits of recycling plastic and address key questions.

Mass balance for chemical recycling

‘Chemical recycling’ is an umbrella term for technologies, which can recycle plastic that is unsuitable for mechanical recycling methods. One of the biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to growing chemical recycling is the lack of acceptance of mass balance. This is a chain of custody model used by industries to track materials through a complex value chain where physically tracking material is not possible. Acceptance of mass balance within the Plastic Packaging Tax would enable chemically recycled material to count towards ‘recycled content’ for tax purposes.

“The Government’s insistence that we cannot currently use mass balance for chemical recycling means we still can’t use some materials, certainly for direct food contact,” explains Lodge. “There are also issues around infrastructure and material availability. Plus, we are still waiting for investment and facilities to come on line. But we expect chemical recycling will continue to grow, as it complements mechanical recycling.”

To learn more, visit the BPF’s Chemical Recycling Information Hub: bpf.co.uk/ hub

‘Chemical recycling’ is an umbrella term for technologies, which can recycle plastic that is unsuitable for mechanical recycling methods.

INTERVIEW WITH Brian Lodge Director, Plastics and Flexible Packaging, British Plastics Federation

WRITTEN BY Sheree Hanna

Post-pandemic, plastic is still a major public concern. Businesses are becoming interested in reuse again.

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There is no food security without clean cooking

Food policy often overlooks the way families cook, but accelerating access to clean cooking is essential to ensuring equitable and resilient food systems.

Since 2020, the impacts of the climate crisis, Covid-19 and global conflict have doubled the number of people facing acute food insecurity to 345 million today. This challenge is exacerbated by high levels of energy poverty: 675 million people lack access to electricity; and 2.3 billion people lack access to clean cooking, relying on polluting open fires or inefficient stoves to cook their daily meals.

1,500 times greater than CO2. Up to 34% of global wood fuel is harvested unsustainably, contributing to forest degradation, soil erosion and biodiversity loss.

Jillene Connors Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer, Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA)

Impact of clean cooking

Each year, cooking with solid fuels and kerosene costs the world $2.4 trillion in damage to the environment and local economies, contributing to 3 million premature deaths and negatively impacting food production and security. Without investment in clean cooking and holistic food system reform, by 2030, 1.9 billion people will still be without access to clean cooking, and almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished.

Reliance on polluting cooking fuels, like wood and charcoal, is a major contributor to climate change, negatively impacting ecosystems and agricultural yield. Burning solid fuels for cooking and heating generates more than half of human-made black carbon emissions, which has a climate warming impact that is

Scaling up clean cooking to improve food security Switching to clean fuels, such as biogas, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity, can significantly reduce emissions, global warming and environmental degradation, with positive outcomes for food production.

Clean cooking plays a vital role in food security, impacting the quantity, quality and nutritional content of food consumed. Inability to afford cooking fuel can lead households to skip meals or switch to less nutritious foods.

Households transitioning to affordable, clean solutions demonstrate a shift to more diverse, nutritious diets. Multiburner stoves can improve dietary diversity by enabling simultaneous preparation of multiple dishes.

Global food security cannot be achieved without reimagining a food system where clean cooking plays a central role in safeguarding climate and nature, improving nutrition and supporting livelihoods.

Each year, cooking with solid fuels and kerosene costs the world $2.4 trillion in damage to the environment and local economies.

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