Four fast ways to transform food systems

A WHITE paper launched by food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak, and management consulting firm EY-Parthenon examines the key food systems requirements to better sustain both people and the planet by 2040.

In a comprehensive plan released following the United Nations Climate Change Conference's (COP28) first Food, Agriculture and Water Day last year, Tetra Pak has also identified four key pathways to accelerate food systems transformation. It has also established road maps and measurable targets for each of them, aligning with the critical transitions for food and land transformation proposed by the Food and Land Use Coalition.

Charles Brand, executive vice president for Processing Solutions and Equipment at Tetra Pak, explains that more «secure, resilient and sustainable» food systems are crucial for a viable future as research from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization say that 9 percent of the world's population are going hungry and about 30 percent are experiencing malnutrition.

He enumerates the four pathways that can bring about these transformative food systems:

– Enabling the transition toward more sustainable dairy by addressing the environmental impact of dairy processing while supporting smallholder farmers' productivity, profitability and livelihoods.

– Innovating new food sources, such as diversifying with alternative proteins, to complement dairy and other animal protein sources.

– Reducing food loss and waste by developing food processing technologies that help reduce them during production, including new solutions to turn low-value side streams that would otherwise go wasted into value-added products. Aseptic packaging solutions already play a fundamental role in reducing food waste by extending the shelf life of perishable foods, without the need for preservatives or refrigeration. This enables widespread distribution, even in remote geographies with inadequate cold chain infrastructure.

– Scaling access to safe nutrition through sustainable food packaging solutions that preserve food quality and improve access to safe food.

The company will also build on its initiatives in the