UNIDO and Tetra Pak sign a Commitment Agreement in support of safe, resilient and sustainable food systems

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Tetra Pak have signed a Commitment Agreement and are pleased to announce their partnership at COP30. 

The MoU was signed by Lars Holmquist, Executive Vice President of Sustainability, and Jean Daniel Rouvinez, Vice President of International Operations at Tetra Pak, and by Gunther Beger, Managing Director of the Innovation Directorate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Economic Transformation at UNIDO. 

This partnership builds on a long-standing collaboration between UNIDO and Tetra Pak, which began with a joint project in Bangladesh, implemented from 2013 to 2016 with PRAN Dairy and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The renewed cooperation between UNIDO and Tetra Pak was further strengthened during the 10th anniversary event of the Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF) in Stockholm in 2023, when both parties began jointly developing a new Public-Private Partnership (PPDP) project entitled “Pathways to Profitable Dairy Farming,” funded by Sida. 

Over the years, UNIDO and Tetra Pak have also worked together on global engagement and advocacy initiatives, including the Vienna Sustainable Packaging ConFex and a series of roundtables co-organized by UNIDO on sustainable industrial solutions. 

With the new agreement, UNIDO and Tetra Pak will strengthen cooperation in several areas, including the development of local dairy and food value chains, skills development and capacity building, as well as joint global advocacy on issues such as supply chain decarbonization, reduction of food loss and waste, and circular packaging solutions. 

“We are pleased to formalize our partnership with Tetra Pak. Collaborating with the private sector is vital to accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By combining UNIDO’s expertise in inclusive industrial development with Tetra Pak’s innovation and global reach, we seek to strengthen food value chains – reducing losses and waste, eliminating emissions and creating opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),” explains Gunther Beger of UNIDO. 

“This partnership supports the A World Without Hunger Initiative and UNIDO’s Action Plan on Food Loss and Waste, which take a systemic approach to transforming food systems. A central focus is the ‘hidden middle’ – processing, logistics, storage and packaging – which, often overlooked, accounts for up to 40% of the economic value of food systems. Unlocking its potential is essential to building resilient, sustainable and inclusive food systems for the future,” he concludes. 

Eija Hietavuo, from Tetra Pak, states that “our long-standing collaboration with UNIDO has shown how a shared purpose can generate significant change. This agreement consolidates that foundation with a framework that allows us to scale innovations that unlock hidden potential, decarbonize food systems, and reduce post-harvest losses. By supporting smallholder farmers and SMEs, we are strengthening food security, expanding access to food, and building resilience for communities that depend on safe and sustainable food systems.” 

The signing marks a new chapter in the UNIDO–Tetra Pak collaboration, reinforcing their shared commitment to sustainability, innovation, and inclusive growth in global value chains.