The future of food manufacturing: less waste, more alternatives

Food is one of the most important and abundant resources in the world, and one of the most resource- and energy-intensive. Faced with the challenges of population growth, excessive wastage, and a conventionally high-emissions supply chain, how can we change our processes and preferences to help achieve a food industry that is both fairer and greener? 

The world produces approximately four billion tonnes of food each year. Even though this amount should be more than enough, business and technology inefficiencies in the production, storage, and distribution of food mean that signficant wastage persists in various forms.

Against this backdrop, and combined with our growing population, the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported in 2012 that food production still needs to increase by 60% by 2050 to feed everyone. But when we consider that food production in all its forms accounts for over a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas emissions, much of it from meat and dairy, it’s clear that a straightforward increase is not the answer — and that we need alternatives.

These are big themes that deal with the culture of agriculture itself. It could be slow to change on its own, limited by the habits of consumers and industry worldwide. So, what can business leaders, scientists, NGOs, and governments actually do to spark positive change today?

The world needs to find and action immediate changes to the efficency of the processes we currently rely on, while working to enhance the viability and affordability of new technological and nutritional options. And for that, there needs to be ambition. 

Food waste

Despite the global agricultural sector's capacity to produce en masse, substantial quantities of food are wasted or lost across different stages of the food supply chain. 1.3 billion tonnes, or around a third of all food produced globally, is thrown away per year.

Worldwide, 75% of this waste, or around 850 million tons, is due to two stages of the manufacturing process:

• In fields, due to pests, diseases, and inefficient harvesting methods (500 million tons)
• During postharvest handling, storage, processing, and distribution (350 million tons)

Developing countries are often where food loss happens closer to the farm. For example, the lack of an established “cold chain” in some regions of India, which encompasses all of the refrigeration needed at various stages of the harvesting process to keep food fresh, contributes significantly to wastage in the country. Meanwhile, increasing temperatures are affecting plants’ ability to cope with disease, and this may particularly affect developing nations with hot climates.

The UN Environment Programme reports that developing countries could save 144 million tonnes of food annually if they reached the same level of food cold chain infrastructure as developed countries. At the same time,  breakthroughs in genetically modified plants can combat some of the waste caused by disease. But both will need targeted investment from governments, especially where less wealthy and rural businesses are unable to implement them.

In developed countries, much of the food waste occurs in the distribution stage, when perfectly edible food is discarded due to aesthetic imperfections. 40% of vegetable and fruit waste in the UK has been linked to retailers’ standards, meaning that “ugliness” is selected against by manufacturers, and ultimately by consumers — but a growing number of odd food marketplaces shows that there is a willingness to capitalise on this surplus. Manufacturers should seek out and collaborate with these businesses alongside their larger retail customers to enhance the circularity of their output.

Water waste

The global agricultural industry consumes 2 quadrillion gallons, or around 7.5 quadrillion litres, of water per year. This accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s water usage, yet a staggering 40% of that amount is lost to poor water management and inefficient irrigation systems.

Solving this problem involves fostering innovative water management practices, particularly hydroponic farming. In essence, hydroponic farming substitutes soil with a water-based substrate using six main systems. This approach significantly decreases water usage to a fraction of what's required for traditional farming.

In food factories, water is commonly used in cooling systems to preserve the quality of the product, and deal with the fluctuations in temperature. Given the substantial volumes of water involved, modern cooling systems can be deployed, such as closed-circuit cooling systems. These systems maintain water entirely enclosed within pipes, eliminating the need for a continuously refreshed water supply while sidestepping the higher maintenance costs associated with open circuit systems. 

Hydroponics is an environmentally friendly and profitable technology, particularly in developed regions like North America. It efficiently uses space and can be applied even by landless urban and rural populations.