Science-based sustainability credentials are crucial
18 Jan 2023 | Ingredion
Many companies are realizing that formulating for sustainability is very complex, they might choose to go non-GMO, but that raises the carbon footprint, for example. Companies being able to show a balanced landscape of an ingredient, how it performs ethically as well as environmentally and functionally, is what Ingredion is starting to see emerge as the latest trend.
This is Gaynor Selby for food ingredients first at FIU 2022.
I'm at the ingredients stand with Brian Nash, vice president, corporate sustainability.
Hi Brian, how are you doing today?
Good, thanks.
Let's dive into the questions about What do you think about the future of sustainability in food ingredients and why it's becoming increasingly important.
I think for the future of sustainability and food ingredients we're seeing a lot of focus on balanced sustainability.
A lot of customers are starting to realize that sustainability decisions and formulating for sustainability is very complex, so you might choose to go non-GMO, but that raises your carbon footprint and that might be contrary to their global carbon reduction goals.
So I think companies being able to show the balanced landscape of an ingredient, how it performs ethically as as environmentally as as functionally, is what we're starting to see emerge as the latest trend.
OK, are you seeing a growing number of companies making these kind of commitments to science-based targets around carbon reductions and other kind of aspirational sustainability goals?
Yes, absolutely.
More than ever before, we're seeing companies committed and we're seeing a very increasing number of companies committing to science-based targets.
In fact, on December 1st, it was recently announced that Ingredients science-based targets were validated by, but I know we were in a backlog.
For several months waiting for those to be approved, so I think it just shows a rising trend in companies really taking a science-based focus toward their sustainability commitments, and they're keen to get that messaging across to the end consumer.
They want the end consumer to know that they take sustainability seriously.
Yes, absolutely.
We're seeing a growing number of consumers that are interested in sustainability, particularly millennials, and I think you know consumer facing companies are looking to capitalize on that trend.
For sure.
So how is Ingredient meeting its commitment sustainability source, 99% of its entire crop supply by 2025, I understand.
Yeah, it's complicated, right?
It's not a one size fits all.
So what we do in the United States isn't work in Thailand.
So what we're doing is making sure that we're educating our growers.
We're bringing in partners where we need them, whether that's customers or NGOs, and slowly working to enhance how we work with those growers to promote sustainable practices.
And can you tell us more about ingredients, recent regenerative agricultural practices, the partnerships with companies like PepsiCo to drive environmental and social impacts?
Yeah, we're seeing an increased focus around regenerative agriculture.
We're members of PI Platform, which is probably the leading sustainable agriculture platform for the.
Food and beverage space and they're about to come out with a new regenerative ag program.
I think the interest in that is around soil health and maintaining climate resiliency in our supply chain, but also regenerative agriculture presents a really nice opportunity to collaborate with customers to bring that climate resiliency to the farmers, but also to Reduce Scope 3 carbon emissions.
So I know in the PepsiCo pilot that we did last year, we implemented regenerative practices on 15,000 acres which resulted in about 9000 metric tons of carbon reduced in the supply chain.
And it's been quite a tough year for all industries with inflation and everything else that's been going on.
How have you been?
I think there's definitely been challenges.
We've definitely seen some shifting in consumer preferences.
Obviously the more there's a recession or inflation, you know, people then start being a little bit more cost competitive, but frankly we're still seeing a high focus on sustainability which is we're really glad to see.
And are you expecting to see that high focus as we go into a new year and beyond?
Yes, I, I only see it increasing going forward, for sure.
OK, Brian, thanks very much.
Yes, thank you.
