Humankind’s greatest strength is its ability to carve solutions to any challenge. One of our major ones happens to be food security. Over the decades, we’ve responded with various sustainability efforts. They’ve evolved and led to some incredible food sustainability trends, which, at the moment, are reducing the burden on the environment. We get into the ones that have defined this year and look ahead.
So, is plant-based meat the next big thing? Is millet back in the spotlight? Why is food sustainability important? Read on to find out. And know how you can add significant value to the global food chain.
What is Food Sustainability?
The world produces plenty of food, but an unimaginable amount is lost due to inefficiencies. (A bowl of ice cream could possibly have a sordid history if one bothered to trace its complete journey!) Managing these losses across sourcing, production, packaging, and consumption is critical. Food sustainability additionally ensures the environment food is raised in is viable and lends itself to the present and future, guaranteeing food sources on land and water are accessible to us and beyond.
Sustainable Food Market Overview
Research shows an increase in products claiming to be sustainable—ethically or environmentally. The global market value of ethically labelled food products jumped from US$793 bn in 2015 to US$872 bn in 2020. And it’ll rise as we tackle more food challenges and reach a broader audience. The good news is that people are growing more conscious of the environmental burden of their food choices—that bowl of ice cream might be causing more than just a few heads to turn.
Products with ethical/sustainability claims that are popular at the moment include dairy products, beverages, and confectionery. (Cocoa might perhaps be the poster child of the food sustainability movement, with producers focused on sourcing it with extreme care.) Further sustainable food market insights reveal that most new products in the segment are labelled as organic, followed by additive/preservative-free, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
Top Food Sustainability Trends in 2024
There’s been a lot to talk about in the recent past. Food Inc. has rallied behind some tremendous ideas, giving us the following sustainable food trends (while on the topic, check out these vital food and beverage trends). They’re setting the foundation for even more innovation down the line as more opportunities lie in wait!
1. Embracing Regenerative and Agroecological Farming Systems
Regenerative agriculture has been picking traction slowly, pointing to a more optimistic outlook towards our prospects. The method focuses on restoring soil health and enhancing natural resources to attain more water-retentive soil. Companies worldwide have accelerated their regenerative farming projects or poured more investments into them, fine-tuning their efforts to solidify the early part of supply chains. It is helping companies build resiliency into their operations and target climate goals easily while passing valuable skills and expertise down the farmer economy. Meanwhile, agroecology, the complex holistic approach to farming and its relation with humans, is also gaining prominence. The multi-disciplinary method is giving power back to farmers and is being received with open arms.
2. The Steady Rise of Plant-based Food
As more people are aware of livestock practices and their effect on the environment and the animals themselves, there’s no mystery as to why plant-based food has expanded in the market (the value of the plant-based food market worldwide is estimated at around US$65 bn in 2024, and is only projected to increase rapidly). While there is still some way to go before they can act as mainstream substitutes, scaling up production in the coming years will hopefully see their stock rise among discerning consumers. Soon enough, plant-based milk won’t be looked upon quizzically but as just another regular, healthy drink after a long day!
3. Upcycled Ingredients
Upcycling involves repurposing ingredients that wouldn’t have been consumed otherwise, produced and procured using verifiable supply chains. (For example, think of chocolate made from disposed cocoa husks.) And the market for these products is developing at a pace—food and beverages with an upcycling claim are on the rise, with pet food and bakery items supposedly leading the charge. Research shows that consumers are open to these products, with some even willing to pay more to combat food waste. Food companies have been working on innovative products and are succeeding. For instance, some projects are turning discarded chicken bones and wing tips into chicken nuggets!
4. Relying on Forgotten Crops
There’s long been a case for adding neglected and underutilised crops to food systems. And that movement has been gathering steam of late. Food biodiversity is in vogue and very much in. Food manufacturers are considering unfashionable crops across several geographies to enable sustainable offerings. A prime example is the once-ignored millet. Millet-based products are on the rise, with the crop being the choice for snacks, health bars, cookies, and even noodles. So, to answer the question at the start: Yes, millets are very much in the spotlight.
5. Locally Sourced Ingredients
Food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers are increasingly connecting with local farmers to source their raw materials. This helps them reduce transport-related emissions and is probably the simplest way of adopting an eco-friendly business perspective. Doing so is welcome for another reason—injecting stimulus into local economies and allowing communities to flourish. A cooperative effort profits everyone, from producer to consumer. Businesses are seeing the benefits firsthand, and more will do so in efforts to curb their carbon footprints.
6. Carbon-neutral Products
Carbon-neutral products are still enjoying success after their recent implosion on the world stage. Manufacturers have been calculating their emissions during production and delivery and then helping offset them through various methods like planting trees or investing in renewables. Carbon-neutral products are a fantastic way to hit net-zero goals, and more producers are seeing business sense in the act. From brewers to energy drink manufacturers, everyone’s in on it.
7. Going Plastic-free
Plastic packaging has been a problem for food companies and brands for a while due to its polluting nature—but biodegradable and compostable materials are a way out (fully biodegradable paper-based food packaging materials are among the developments in this rapidly expanding space). Innovators are not looking to merely recycle but to phase out fossil-based plastics altogether for more proactive measures. And this trend will only get bigger from here.
How to Promote Food Sustainability
Food sustainability can be encouraged by finding ways to improve the productivity of food and agricultural production systems while limiting agricultural land use. Here, innovation will be required to ensure that food is available at sufficient levels in the face of dwindling resources. Secondly, protecting the environment promotes food sustainability naturally. The third way is ensuring farmers have the proper support and ecosystem to work in, with efforts going into their physical and economic safety. Finally, food manufacturers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers should agree on practices and technologies that safeguard consumers and producers from adverse effects like price volatility.
Collaborating for a Better Future
Partnering with a responsible food ingredient solution provider like Symega can inject sustainability into your processes. We champion food production that is ethical, environmentally considerate, and locally sourced, and we have the technical expertise to back our ambitions. We are on top of sustainability trends and leverage them to build trust between our customers and theirs. Together, we can arrive at innovative and efficient ways of getting the most out of your product. And help the planet heal in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is food sustainability important?Food sustainability is vital for many reasons. From the environmental impact of conserving natural resources to social and economic implications like offering food security to future generations, the importance of using efficient practices to source food is a pressing concern. Sustainability in food procurement and production also affects public health, supports rural livelihoods, and prioritises animal welfare. It is crucial in efforts to suppress world hunger and malnutrition.
2. What challenges does the food industry face in achieving sustainability?Climate change is the biggest hurdle to food sustainability. Agricultural losses due to adverse weather events are an ongoing threat that makes it difficult to find solutions to food concerns. Floods, droughts, and heat waves linked to climate change can disrupt efforts to produce and distribute food equitably. Land degradation due to human intervention is another massive challenge. Conventional farming has upset the ecosystem to the point where the excessive loss of habitat and depletion of natural resources make it hard to optimise food production. Human negligence, inefficient production processes, and improper packaging can also be responsible for getting in the way of attempts to reduce wasted food.
3. How do we promote food sustainability?Food sustainability can be achieved by boosting agricultural productivity while limiting land use through innovation. Besides environmental protection, supporting farmers’ physical and economic safety is also essential. Lastly, food manufacturers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers should determine technologies that safeguard the entire food ecosystem from adverse effects like price volatility.
4. How is technology contributing to food sustainability?Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to monitor farm animals and offer specific calving insights that help with herd management. AI technologies can also possibly predict outcomes for crops and livestock, such as whether diseases or pests should be expected. Elsewhere, machine learning can quicken the soil testing process and give immediate data on soil health. Modern technology can further ascertain the crop quality on the field, thus reducing waste. These innovations are helping increase crop yield and optimise value across the supply chain, benefiting producers and consumers. Looking to the future, AI-enabled weather projections can aid farmers in planning strategies, resulting in robust yields. And the move to zero-emissions farm equipment will slash greenhouse emissions and open a world of opportunities for sustainable production.
