Food swaps can reduce groceries greenhouse gas emissions, new study reveals

29 May 2024 --- Switching similar F&B products can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from groceries, according to a new Australian study conducted by researchers at The George Institute for Global Health and Imperial College London.

The study — published in Nature Food — reveals that changing food consumption practices even slightly can reduce grocery emissions by up to 26% for similar products and a significant 71% for less similar swaps.

Food Ingredients First sits down with professor Simone Pettigrew, head of food policy at The George Institute for Global Health, to discuss the study and its possible ramifications for the F&B industry.

Emissions in the F&B industry
The food and agriculture sectors are responsible for around one-third of global GHG emissions, amounting to 13.7 billion metric tons. 

According to research, beef has the highest emission levels among animal-based foods. Dairy, sugar, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages also have a significant carbon footprint. 

In the light of these figures, the study, which used consumer data linked to GHG emission values from over 22,000 products, becomes crucial for manufacturers and consumers in the F&B sphere.

On-pack labeling
The researchers suggest more front-of-pack labeling of GHG emissions on food products to encourage consumers to choose lower-emission options. There are multiple ways of informing consumers sufficiently while not overwhelming them with technical information.

“Evidence from nutrition labeling research shows that consumers benefit most from simplified, front-of-pack information that provides a summary of the nutritional quality of the food. The same applies to sustainability information,” Pettigrew tells us.

Researchers suggest more front-of-pack labeling.“Providing a sustainability rating for food products allows consumers to see at a glance how sustainable a product is in its own right and compare it to other available products. The rating must be scientifically informed and endorsed by reputable entities (for example, governments and independent research institutes).” 

“The F&B industry should adopt such ratings as soon as they are available and display them prominently on their products,” she continues.

Guidelines for manufacturers
Key players in the food industry have been applying new techniques to reduce negative environmental and social impacts, such as filtration technology to reduce carbon intensity at factories.

Pettigrew says manufacturers and retailers can incorporate sustainability into their models by considering reducing the meat and dairy content of food products. 

This first step is likely to have the largest impact and could reduce the GHG emissions of widely sold products without impacting consumer loyalty. “Companies can optimize the efficiency of their processing facilities and choose renewable energy sources to power them,” adds Pettigrew.

However, industry action will need to be accompanied by support or incentives from policymakers to implement labeling regulations effectively. “Existing agricultural incentives largely favor unsustainable industries. It is critical for fiscal policies to be updated to better incentivise healthy and sustainable agricultural commodities.”

Expanding research
The study’s current focus is grocery consumption practices across households in Australia. However, the researchers say more strategies should be developed to study the environmental impacts of a country's food purchasing habits and ultimately, reduce GHG emissions.

“Going forward, it is important for a broad range of environmental indicators, such as water use, land use and acidification to be included in sustainability ratings for food and other products. This, in turn, requires the source data to be generated in a comprehensive fashion that takes into account local growing conditions,” Pettigrew concludes.

By Anvisha Manral