Are Companies Really Seeking Sustainability?

A new report, Driving Sustainability, from LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), shows that while a vast majority of companies believe sustainability to be increasingly important - 82 per cent of companies surveyed - only 19 per cent monitored the sustainability of the products they sourced.

The report, surveyed nearly 1,000 representatives from across the food industry.

Nearly half, 47 per cent, agreed or strongly agreed that their company should take sustainability more seriously, with a further 66 per cent looking to improve the integrity of their supply chains through better traceability and provenance.

Key drivers for addressing sustainability are meeting customer demand - 48 per cent - and saving the company money - 40 per cent.

Caroline Drummond, chief executive of LEAF, said: "In order to continue to feed the growing population, it is vital that the food industry ensures it is sustainable. The findings in this report demonstrate that while companies understand they need to improve their environmental impact and source sustainably, many do not have the tools in which to implement and measure this."

In the US, organic food companies are also increasingly adopting a wide range of sustainability initiatives, according to the first Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA) Annual Member Sustainability Report.

The report shows that companies used less energy, created less waste, reduced their carbon footprints and donated to the community considerably more in 2011 (the reporting year) than the previous year.

There was also a 34 per cent increase in companies saying that they were taking action such as auditing and managing their waste streams.

Climate change abatement initiatives were at the forefront of the action being taken by companies with 85 per cent of the members investing in tracking and integrating carbon management into their business operations.

By the end of this year changes will start taking place in food labelling in Europe that will start to require country of origin labelling on fresh meat from pigs, sheep, goats and poultry, nutrition information on processed foods and information about potential allergens such as peanuts or milk.

The labelling will also have to be clear with specific font sizes for the text and the information about allergens will also have to cover non pre-packed foods, including those that are served in restaurants and cafes.

For meat and food manufacturers, this will mean some lengthy time getting familiar with the intricacies of the legislation and then carrying out a full due diligence on the products to ensure that the correct information is displayed.