Tetra Pak reveals action plan for integrated food systems transformation
15 Dec 2023 --- Tetra Pak has announced “an integrated approach” harnessing the company’s role in the food processing and packaging industry to drive the change of food systems toward greater security, sustainability and resilience.
The announcement comes in the wake of COP28’s first Food, Agriculture and Water Day, underlining Tetra Pak’s commitment to addressing the urgent challenges of global food systems.
“Transforming food systems is crucial for a viable future. Today, these systems are inefficient and unsustainable, responsible for over one-third of GHG emissions, while one-third of food produced is lost or wasted,” comments Charles Brand, executive vice president for Processing Solutions & Equipment at Tetra Pak.
“Food systems are also failing people, with 9% of the world’s population going hungry and 30% experiencing malnutrition. In addition, food value chains are driving deforestation and biodiversity loss and are estimated to be the second most critical avenue to addressing climate change behind energy. We cannot phase out food, but we can transform these systems to ensure they are more secure, resilient and sustainable.”
Pathways to accelerate transformation
Tetra Pak has outlined four key pathways to accelerate the transformation of food systems. The company has established roadmaps and measurable targets for each path, aligning with critical transitions proposed by the Food and Land Use Coalition:
1. Sustainable dairy transition: Tetra Pak aims to address the environmental impact of dairy processing while supporting smallholder farmers’ productivity, profitability and livelihoods.
2. Innovation for new food sources: The company plans to diversify food sources, including exploring alternative proteins, to complement traditional animal protein sources.
3. Food loss and waste reduction: Tetra Pak will focus on developing food processing technologies to reduce waste during production, including innovative solutions to turn low-value side streams into value-added products.
4. Scaling access to safe nutrition through sustainable packaging: Tetra Pak aims to design and deploy sustainable food packaging solutions that preserve food quality and improve access to safe food.
White paper collaboration
The announcement coincides with Tetra Pak’s release of a white paper developed in collaboration with EY Parthenon. The paper examines vital food system requirements to sustain people and the planet by 2040, providing insights and a strategic framework for the industry.
The paper “How could global food systems better sustain our planet and its people by 2040?” is the first part of a series and explores improvements needed to achieve a safe and just transition of food systems.
“At Tetra Pak, we’re not just making pledges — we’re driving a transformative agenda based on a robust evidence base. We are answering the call for private sector engagement by demonstrating our ambitions and our strategic plan on realizing them,” Brand says.
“At COP28 and beyond, we are proud to engage with government stakeholders, policymakers, industry stakeholders, customers and key opinion leaders to help transform food systems and move food forward.”
Edited by Radhika Sikaria
