Stora Enso report calls for industry collaboration to strengthen food system security

29 May 2023 --- Stora Enso reveals that the strength of food systems hinges on industry collaboration and an overhaul of the packaging industry. The company’s latest report provides a call to action for the food industry to play its role in reducing global emissions and contribute to a circular, biodiverse and climate-positive future in the face of environmental uncertainty.

The packaging supplier states that current food systems are under immense pressure and food security is one of the biggest challenges facing much of the world. According to the company, food systems generate significant hidden socio-economic costs estimated at US$12 trillion annually.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have exacerbated these costs, leading to increased food insecurity worldwide. Climate change and biodiversity loss also pose an increasing threat to food production. 

The report identifies four areas and 13 impact opportunities to unlock the potential contribution of food packaging for better food systems. The areas include a healthy diet, reduction of food loss and waste, protecting and restoring land and protecting oceans. 

Impact opportunities
Regarding healthy diets, Stora Enso says society needs to move toward planetary health diets, which will “require a radical shift toward producing and consuming more vegetables, legumes and other healthy foods that are often highly perishable.”

“Packaging solutions with optimized design and smart technologies can help keep food fresh for longer, limiting the use of preservatives with positive outcomes on human health,” says the company.Stora Enso says industries and consumers must work together to fix food systems.

The report continues that reducing food waste is critical to reducing GHG emissions and improving food security: “Well-designed packaging, including embedded smart sensors, can reduce food waste – packaging labels can help build awareness of consumers and shift their behavior.”

In line with reducing GHG emissions, land protection and restoration increase resilience and reduce biodiversity loss. 

“Sustainable sourcing of agriculture and forestry inputs can limit negative externalities of packaging solutions. At the same time, opportunities to increase recycling, reuse packaging and use alternative packaging materials, which leverage waste and byproducts, can reduce resource gaps and land use competition,” writes Stora Enso. 

The last recommendation focuses on protecting oceans to improve climate, biodiversity and food security outcomes. The food packaging industry can enable material circularity and reduce plastic waste flows into the ocean through efficient and widespread collection, recycling technologies and reuse packaging models. 

“New packaging materials derived from ocean biomass such as seaweed can absorb CO2 and regenerate marine ecosystems, creating renewable feedstock for potentially biodegradable packaging.”

Joint action for transformation
To address the shortfalls of the current food system, the report says the food and packaging industries and consumers need to change the way they produce and consume food radically.The food system crisis has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine.

The report names food packaging as a critical enabler of food value chains. “The industry has an opportunity to support the food system transition and reduce the pressure on land use and scarce resources,” the company emphasizes. 

As a result of decarbonization and circularity targets, there is an expected shortage in biomass that the report says the food packaging industry can help address. Stora Enso highlights that enabling closed loops for material use, including through circular business models, will be essential for the industry to reduce the pressure on resources.

Government regulation is evolving rapidly to reduce the food system’s environmental externalities, while new technologies and business models are opening opportunities to reduce costs and improve sustainability. 

“Regulators, consumers and investors increasingly demand more responsible actions from businesses, and there is a clear economic case for change that reduces the hidden costs of the food system,” says Stora Enso. 

The report calls for joint action by stakeholders to drive the transformation of food systems. 

“From large and established businesses to small and innovative start-ups, from research institutions to civil society, from governments to financial institutions, we invite organizations to get in touch with us to join forces,” says Stora Enso.

Edited by Sabine Waldeck