Sustainable Food Production: Should Consumers Care?

Ever thought of what goes into a packet of milk? Or a salad that you relish??

Here are two ways to look at a packaged product.?

The product is economically viable, meets the taste stands and comes from a credible brand. Health factor is an add-on.?

?The crop was organically grown, the livestock fed met sustainable standards and there was no or minimal wastage of food involved in the production. The packaging meets the SDG guidelines.?

About 85% of consumers, globally belong to the second category. They may not be well informed about the practices or guidelines mentioned, but are sustainability-conscious and are open to becoming more aware. They are open to purchasing sustainable alternatives to benefit their health and wellness. But what do consumers have to do with food production - sustainable or non-sustainable??

Why sustainable food production is important

Food along with agriculture accounts for 25% - 35% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as per Our World in Data. Take a peek into the data and it will tell us why sustainable food systems are crucial to reducing carbon emissions. It will also tell you why sustainability should be weaved into all stages of the food cycle; Production, processing, distribution and consumption. Because food is much more than nutrition and taste.?

If you are concerned about what goes into your body, you should be concerned about what goes into the soil and manure. You need to understand the crop quality, livestock feeds quality and packaging standards. The larger goal, of course, is to meet the targets of SDG12, as defined by the UN.

Road to SDG12: Sustainable food production changes the ecosystem

Sustainable food production - what does it do?

It helps in restructuring the agriculture ecosystem. Especially in the rural sectors by ensuring fair profits and affordability among the farmer community. It reverses environmental degradation, eliminates hunger , provides financial security and does more.?

1. Reduced food wastage, reduced emission

In 2020, about 13.3% of food, globally was wasted after harvesting and before reaching the retail markets, as per the UN data. The number is 17% at the consumer level. This loss also represents the wastage of resources - land, water, manure, energy and labour. This means, 13% of food waste accounts for the loss of other resources.?

That is not it. According to the UN, food that ends up in landfills generates 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. SDG 12 aims to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses by 2030. Besides, food that will not be consumed leads to unnecessary CO2 emissions in addition to the loss of economic value of the food produced.

Some recommended actions towards this by FAO are;

• Allow surplus crops from one farm to solve a shortage of crops on another
• Eliminate the production of food that will not be consumed

2. Reformed agri ecosystem, fair wages to farmers?

Sustainable food production is vital to restructuring the agriculture ecosystem. The change begins by viewing agriculture stakeholders and market players as equal players in food production.?

“A cultivator (farmer) earns less than one-third of the income of a non-farm worker,” Pro. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog said in one of his addresses a few years ago.?

There have been several instances where deficiency of food and finances led farmers to harvest crops at a premature stage. There are many cracks in the system, preventing farmers from earning fair wages. It points to the need for an organized agriculture market. The outcome is hunger-stricken farmer communities and increased food prices for consumers.?

3. Strengthened rural economy, sustainable communities

60% of Indians live in the rural segments and a majority of farming takes place in the rural areas. This means any activity in strengthening the rural ecosystem will have a direct impact on the economy, people and sustainability as a whole. It even helps in tackling food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition while shaping healthier communities.?

Now the question is, what do consumers believe in?

What is in for consumers? What do they believe in??

The changing buying behaviour among consumers indicates that consumers are willing to play a part in rebuilding the environment. The fact that it can control diseases and boost overall health is only one part of the story. Transforming this interest into an actual purchase may take time.

That brings us to the next question, how do we make the end consumer aware that sustainable food production does much more than health and wellness?

What are the challenges brands need to tackle in deciding the premiumness of the product concerning price and quality??

Are customers willing to pay a premium for sustainably -produced products??