🌱 Is locally grown the carbon top trump?
Featuring good news from Atlantic Fish Co, innocent and SKANDINAVISK, stats from My Emissions and more...
Happy Monday!
Every now and then you hear an environmental statistic that sticks with you. Remember when we realised our avocado on toast has a huge water footprint?! (320 litres of water to produce just one avocado, more water intensive than almonds.) Or when this article made us question our love affair with tender stem broccoli because it needs to be shipped from across the globe? The vegetable PR teams must be working around the clock…not to mention meat and dairy…to keep us confused informed about what a responsible customer should be sourcing! Today we take a closer look at buying closer to home and how high locally grown ingredients should be prioritised.
As usual, we will follow-up with The Good(s) News from last week, which includes a look at how innocent drinks are working to make their large scale farms more sustainable, and what the FTF team has been up to!
Let’s dive in…
> In Focus
The Local Sourcing Dilemma: Tomatoes from Spain, Potatoes from Maine
Written by Katherine Hartzenberg-Aeroe
The buzz around local sourcing is undeniable, touting the promise of slashing carbon footprints. But how true is this? Sourcing goods locally, particularly food, offers many benefits: supporting local economies, more agile supply chains, fostering supplier connections, and reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation. However, it’s paramount for brands navigating SBTi targets and CSRD regulations to know if local sourcing actually translates to a overall lower carbon footprint and goes beyond the cultural lore that “local is always better.” Let's dig one level deeper!
Pruning the weeds — digging for details
A study in Nature Food estimates that transport emissions account for only 4.8% of food’s total emissions. Instead, it is significantly more important what you are purchasing - farming emissions are roughly 71% of food’s total emissions - than where you are sourcing from.
Growing non-native foods often requires traditional greenhouses in colder regions, emitting substantial carbon dioxide due to their reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Conventional practices can produce around 575 kg of CO2 per ton of lettuce, but advancements in technology offer hope. Greenhouses powered by renewable energy emit significantly less, around 352 kg CO2 per ton of lettuce.
Backyard shenanigans
Adding nuance to the local sourcing narrative are urban agriculture studies. Despite their eco-friendly image, these farms often necessitate infrastructure that boosts carbon footprints. A University of Michigan study revealed that individual gardens, including allotments, can emit almost five times more CO2 per portion compared to traditional farms. The culprit? The embodied carbon from infrastructures like raised beds and garden sheds.
Global sourcing: the greenhouse effect
Despite common perception, global sourcing isn't always detrimental to sustainability. While air freight ranks as the highest emitter among transport modes, it only accounts for 0.16% of food miles. Surprisingly, shipping tomatoes from Spain to Switzerland might result in a lower carbon footprint than growing them locally in heated greenhouses. Variations in production methods and transportation efficiencies can tilt the scales in favour of global sourcing, underscoring the complexity of the carbon emissions equation.
Navigating your sourcing
1. Mindful Procurement: Prioritise what you purchase over solely focusing on where it's sourced from. Opting for lower carbon products, regardless of origin, can lead to more significant emissions reductions.
2. Research your supply chain: Find out from your suppliers how they are growing their produce and whether they are working to minimise carbon emissions, like through renewable energy adoption.
3. Efficiency in Logistics: Streamline transportation routes and invest in efficient logistics chains - maximising load capacities and minimising trips can yield emissions savings, regardless of sourcing location.
While sourcing locally boasts numerous benefits, it's essential to critically evaluate environmental implications at-large. There are also alternative means for brands to make a positive local impact, like becoming a community partner or working with local food pantries. By prioritising mindful procurement, innovation, and logistical efficiency, brands can navigate the global vs. local conundrum while being mindful of their footprint.
> Follow up with…
Resource: Climate Action Accelerator, Shift to low carbon food options
Website: Coolfood.org
> Last week in consumer goods x climate…
The Good(s) News
Up and coming brands…
🎯 Atlantic Fish Co announced that they have developed the world's first cell-based Black Sea bass prototype, in partnership with NC Food Innovation Lab. They are aiming to provide options for consumers who want sustainable, ethical seafood.
🎯 Macalat introduced their sugar-free mycelium Organic Sweet Dark Chocolate, claiming it to be the most significant innovation in chocolate. They partnered with the mushroom innovator MycoTechnology to create a dark chocolate experience using a mycelium-derived flavour modulator.
🎯 PlantSea announced that they are using the OPRL ‘Recycle’ label for seaweed-based packaging, the first company to do so. Their packaging is manufactured from seaweed-derived fibres that are blended with recycled and virgin papers, aiming to replace paper and card.
Bigger organisations…
⭐️ Tony’s Chocolonely announced that Waitrose & Partners is the first grocery retailer in the UK that joins their Tony's Open Chain collaboration. This aims to end exploitation in cocoa. They’ve committed to sourcing all cocoa for 9 of their own brand chocolate bars through Tony’s Open Chain, according to Tony’s 5 Sourcing Principles.
⭐️ SKANDINAVISK announced the launch of their upgraded hair, hand and body care collection. They are improving the collection through locally sourced active ingredients, increasing amount of certified organic ingredients and durable glass bottle to support refill.
Industry wins…
⚡️ UK’s Food Standards Agency agreed to modernise how foods like cultivated meat and precision fermentation products come to market. For example, they'll replace the Statutory Instrument with a public register of products, potentially saving 6 months in the approval process, which can help boost customers’ choice for sustainable food options.
Want good news sooner? We post our top 5 stories every Friday on LinkedIn! If your CPG brand has good news to share, let us know.
> In case you missed it
Want more? Here’s what’s happening across FTF at the moment…
We launched 🛒 The Check-Out! Your weekly dose of brand x sustainability inspiration, and your discovery box of what’s in our basket. Last week we put Ruby Harlow of Belazu in the hot seat, read all about their latest environmental initiatives here.
Speaking of getting to know your favourite brands better… We recently took a trip up to wonderful Edinburgh to meet with Scotland-based pizza oven brand, Ooni (and learned they do so much more than pizza ovens). Keep an eye on your inbox because we will be delivering a fresh slice of Ooni regenerative strategy — with extra toppings.
Finally - last week we wrote about carbon credits insurance. This insurance helps offset the risk when investing in carbon compensation schemes. Intrigued? Catch up on Newsletter #133 here.
That’s it for today!
Want more? Check out ‘The Check-Out’ this Thursday for the latest brands in our basket. In the meantime, let us know what sustainability events you have attended recently and what you loved/learned/lost. Email us at info@followingthefootprints.com to share the juicy details.
Much love,
Team FTF
Great info on local sourcing! Thanks!