Consumers are increasingly paying attention to product labelling, nutritional information and the sustainable origin of what they consume. Major food manufacturers are striving to reduce their environmental impact and meet their customers’ new needs, in a long-distance race to exceed expectations, differentiate themselves from competitors and find new natural ingredients that are nutrient-rich whilst having a lower environmental impact. What role do nuts play in this? In this article, we review the latest trends towards sustainable food production and why nuts are an increasingly sought-after ingredient in the food industry. Continue reading.
The growing concern of sustainability in food production
Food production consumes significant amounts of water and energy, emits polluting gases into water, air and soil, and is currently responsible for 11.3% of greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union1.
As consumers become more aware of the challenges facing the food system around them, more of them are paying attention to how food is processed, where it comes from and what effects it has on their health and that of the planet.
Perception regarding more sustainable food in Europe
According to a recent survey by BEUC-The European Consumer Organization, entitled ‘One bite at a time: consumers and the transition to sustainable food‘, these are some of the findings that exemplify the change in Europe:
- Most consumers say they pay some attention (47%) or a lot of attention (17%) to the environmental impact of their food choices.
- Countries and markets such as Italy, Spain, Portugal or Greece are more sensitive to this. In contrast, countries such as Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands are less demanding in this regard.
- According to the latest Eurobarometer on Europeans and the environment, 20% of respondents reported having changed their diet to incorporate more sustainable foods.
- Consumers associate «sustainable food» with «low environmental impact» (48.6%), «avoidance of GMOs and pesticides» (42.6%) and «local supply chains» (34.4%).
Furthermore, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an accelerated change in the perception of sustainability in the food industry, which also associates product origin with food safety. Moreover, according to Mintel, Covid-19 inspired people to reassess what is important in their lives and budgets. More mindful consumption is encouraging greater support for food brands that are more ethical and environmentally friendly
Trends that are changing food production towards sustainability
Below, we summarise some of the main areas where manufacturers are focusing their efforts towards sustainable food production.
Supply chain
Faced with population growth and its impact, the food industry is striving to manage its supply chain sustainably. Some examples include:
- Better sourcing strategies to improve transparency and traceability.
- Supporting economic viability and the living conditions of small farmers.
- Using technologies that promote more sustainable resource consumption.
Keep learning: The importance of knowing your supplier’s food traceability process
Eco-friendly and sustainable packaging
Another key area is the development of eco-friendly and sustainable packaging, incorporating compostable, recycled or biodegradable materials.
Reducing food waste
Finding new and innovative ways to tackle food waste within production processes, promoting a zero-waste supply chain.
Keep learning | «Nothing from the almond is wasted: an outreach project on all the uses of almonds»
You can also download the dossier with more details about this interesting project:
Energy and water efficiency
Energy and water consumption is another major challenge in the industry. Here, the goal is to reduce polluting emissions throughout the entire production process of new product development, from source to final delivery to the consumer.
Regenerative agriculture
Beyond traditional farming, this approach focuses on soil regeneration to improve sustainability, biodiversity and the protection of natural resources.
The key role of nuts in sustainable food production
Nuts are an attractive ingredient for reducing the carbon footprint in food processing and meet one of the main sustainability-linked drivers: clean product labelling. They provide the transparency and ethical sourcing that consumers demand from their preferred food brands.
Furthermore, their 100% natural origin helps meet the expectations of consumers concerned about animal welfare, knowledge of genuine ingredient origins, functional benefits, as well as those interested in plant-based nutrition.
Peanuts: your best ally for sustainable production
Nuts have a lower environmental impact compared to many products they replace in formulations for coating, filling, thickening or binding, among other applications. Of all nuts, peanuts stand out above the rest. For instance, their production emits less CO2 than other protein-rich sources such as eggs or dairy products. They also improve soil quality by naturally replenishing nitrogen. They require less water than other nuts as well. Moreover, like other nuts, no part of the peanut goes to waste, with shells being used for everything from animal feed to biodiesel production from their oils.
Itac Professional, your allied supplier in sustainable food production
For Itac Professional, Importaco’s B2B brand, sustainability is a key aspect of the company’s strategy. This is exemplified by the sustainability report we share each year, which reflects the company’s efforts in this area.
At this point, in 2020 we wanted to go further, so we made the decision to define a comprehensive sustainability strategy based on three pillars:
- GREEN: PLANET. It integrates our environmental commitments at production level: strengthening our teams’ environmental culture and promoting a circular economy through recycling and resource optimisation.
- HEALTH: PRODUCT. It encompasses various plans aimed at ensuring our nuts and other products contribute to improving consumer health and wellbeing.
- SOCIAL: PEOPLE. We involve the entire community to achieve a better, more equitable and ethical world, where wealth is distributed more fairly and human rights are respected.
You may be interested: Importaco Terra: Towards a more sustainable and efficient almond cultivation
Some examples of our commitment to sustainability include improving our formulations by reducing salt, sugar and fat content; our Good Agricultural Practices programme, which is focused on improving environmental sustainability through reduced chemical use, good soil management and water consumption monitoring; as well as our recent Zero Waste Certification obtained by our nut production facility.
Are you looking for a nut supplier committed to sustainability and capable of offering maximum guarantees regarding traceability and food safety? Contact our team.
Sources
- 1 One bite at a time: consumers and the transition to sustainable food. Analysis of a survey of European consumers on attitudes towards sustainable food. The European Consumer Organization (BEUC)
- How Covid-19 accelerated the 2030 Food & Drink Trends
- The Peanut Institute. Why Sustainable Eating Includes Peanuts
- FoodBev Media. FoodBev’s top trends for 2025
