Transforming food systems: Embracing our collective responsibility in the journey ahead

Global food systems are vital for nourishing people, for the health of our planet and in supporting millions of livelihoods worldwide. The challenge for us all is that they are responsible for 34%[1] of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and up to 80%[2] of biodiversity loss. Coupled with this, 30%[3] of the world’s population currently suffer from malnutrition, whilst a third of the food produced is wasted, making these systems both unsustainable and inefficient.

This article, authored by Katie Carson, director of Corporate Affairs for Food & Climate Policy at Tetra Pak, underscores the significance of collective responsibility in the transformation of global food systems. Carson discusses the responsibilities that policymakers, businesses, NGOs, and consumers must undertake to create a 'preferred future'—one that achieves a balance between economically flourishing food systems, ecologically sustainable environments, and widespread human well-being.

We need to transform our food systems - but what exactly does that look like?

At Tetra Pak, we have recently collaborated with EY-Parthenon to explore the drivers and opportunities to take us to a ‘preferred future’ by 2040. This idea seeks to encapsulate the changes that must be made if we are to thrive within our planet’s means in years to come. It includes finding a balance between economically thriving food systems, ecologically healthy environments and widespread human well-being; ensuring that the cost of transition is managed and the burden shared; and supporting those vulnerable communities most affected by the impact of climate change on our food systems.

The role of policymakers

In this, policy can be a key enabler to drive and accelerate the transition. For instance, if every country integrates food loss and waste into national climate action plans, or nationally determined contributions (NDCs), emissions could be reduced by 4.5 gigatons of equivalent carbon dioxide per year[4]. This is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions from the global tourism industry.[5]

Policymakers should take an integrated approach - planetary and dietary challenges must be addressed simultaneously, with resulting policies based on existing global targets such as the UN’s Development Goals. A global imperative such as climate change demands a joined-up, cohesive approach. There must be collaboration between countries, but also within countries, with ministries moving beyond productivity-focused targets towards policies that enable production systems supporting healthy and sustainable diets.

One such example of successful cross-organisation collaboration is with the standardised measurement of True Cost Accounting (TCA),[6] developed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It quantifies both the benefits of affordable and healthy food as well as the associated environmental and health-related costs.

The role of businesses

Within this context of collaboration, businesses should understand their economic, environmental and societal impact, with associated goals set and disclosed for all of these areas. This thinking has informed Tetra Pak’s approach to food systems transformation,^[7] resulting in the identification of four pathways that will allow us to use our scale and influence to action change towards resilient and sustainable systems.

The targets that are set need to be relevant and measurable. Here, external frameworks can help a lot, such as following the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and having targets approved by Science Based Targets initiative, which is valuable external accreditation that needs to be more widely adopted. Only 34% of companies that make up more than a third of the global economy had achieved that when the SBTI last reported progress in 2022.

Industrial supply chains are complex and need to be dealt with as a whole. This may require a level of collaboration that is unparalleled. Seen from the declarations at COP28, this is also something the Pathways to Dairy Net Zero initiative has undertaken, bringing together stakeholders throughout the dairy value chain – from national dairy cooperatives to multinational companies, including Tetra Pak, to accelerate climate action and reduce dairy’s impact on the planet. Dairy plays a key role in healthy diets,[8] and decarbonising the dairy industry will allow it to continue doing so.

By engaging with regulators through industry coalitions, the knowledge and experience of businesses can be utilised to inform policy. For example, Tetra Pak collaborates with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development - a global CEO-led community of over 200 businesses - on major issues like protecting nature, tackling inequality, and moving food forward. Specifically, our joint work involves co-creating policy recommendations and value chain projects which result in specific outcomes, such as protein diversification and positive nutrition.

The role of non-governmental organisations

Where appropriate, collaboration between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesses can be transformational in shifting towards a “preferred future”. The independent status of NGOs positions them effectively to pinpoint "white spaces," addressing issues that may be overlooked by either the public or private sector when working in isolation.

This has been used to great effect in the aquafarming industry, where the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) was founded with the aim of formulating standards for environmentally and socially responsible practices in commercial fish farming. This initiative has yielded significant results, contributing to over 1,400 environmental and 700 social improvements on aquaculture farms.

The role of consumers

Consumers wield influence in both personal and societal dimensions, through individual decisions such as product selection and reducing waste, alongside broader societal actions like voting and advocating for policy changes.

Throughout history, consumers - and their purchasing power - have been instrumental in shaping food systems. We are in the midst of a significant shift in this regard, with Tetra Pak research revealing that 54% of people now factor the planet's future into their food choices and nearly half the population has adopted flexible dietary practices, embracing a flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan lifestyle. This transformation has so far spurred the private sector to invest a substantial $14.2 billion in alternative proteins between 2013 and 2022.[9]

Yet the influence of consumers should not be viewed merely through their purchasing decisions; it can be a dynamic force for positive change, steering food systems toward a more sustainable and resilient future. Initiatives like the Food Citizenship movement unite businesses, charities, and government bodies to engage with individuals not solely as consumers but as active citizens, redefining their role in shaping the food landscape.

A shared mission

In navigating the complex web of challenges before us, a fundamental truth emerges: the interconnection of issues requires the kind of collaborative effort that transcends traditional boundaries, whether they are geographic, industrial or political. And while there is power in each party embracing their role and responsibility, this is exponentially multiplied when those parties act together.

In this collaborative spirit, we embark on a shared mission, bound together in the pursuit of a resilient, sustainable future for our planet to move food forward.

[1] Nature Food (vol 2, no- 198-209). Crippa et al. (2021): “Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions”. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9.

[2] United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/actnow/facts-and-figures.

[3] World Health Organization. Malnutrition. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition

[4] United Nations. Food Loss, Waste Account for 8 Per Cent of All Greenhouse-Gas Emissions, Says Deputy Secretary-General, Marking Inaugural International Awareness Day. https://press.un.org/en/2020/dsgsm1465.doc.htm (2020).

[5] https://www.newscientist.com/article/2168174-tourism-is-four-times-worse-for-the-climate-than-we-thought/

[6] https://www.tetrapak.com/sustainability/acting-for-sustainability/moving-food-forward

[7] True cost accounting applications for agrifood systems policymakers, https://www.fao.org/3/cc8341en/cc8341en.pdf

[8] FAO: Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes https://www.fao.org/3/cc3912en/cc3912en.pdf

[9] Tetra Pak Index 2023 https://indd.adobe.com/view/847105ae-1d66-4c7f-8e4f-6b69211c8c2b