Sustainable eating is a topic that has become increasingly relevant in recent years due to the impact that food production and consumption has on the environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines sustainable food as that which meets the food needs of the present population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The multinational Danone bases its “one planet one health” strategy on the development of increasingly healthy products from the source and, at the same time, promotes the development of socially responsible and sustainable technologies. “We see sustainable food as the necessary search to produce food in a way that is respectful of the planet and at the same time that benefits people’s health. Although food production is the ultimate goal for the collective ideology, for us it is only one of the points. The goal is to achieve that it is sustainable in all the links of the chain, that is to say, in all the stages through which production passes until consumption, including packaging, transportation and sale”, says Gerardo Chávez, VP of Operations at Danone. LatAm.
The current food system is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and biodiversity loss. Intensive food production and industrialized agriculture have a negative impact on soil, water, and air quality. In addition, large-scale meat and dairy production requires large amounts of water, feed, and energy, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
To address these problems, sustainable eating has been promoted, which is based on the consumption of nutritious and healthy foods that are produced in an environmentally responsible manner. This implies the use of sustainable agricultural practices, such as organic agriculture, agroecological agriculture and regenerative agriculture, which promote biodiversity and soil conservation.
“In order to fulfill our vision of growth and development in a sustainable and socially responsible manner, we take care that all our processes have a focus on innovation and the creation of environmentally friendly initiatives, which is why regenerative agriculture is part of our fundamental pillars”, added the spokesperson.
Regenerative agriculture is an approach focused on agricultural processes that impact the health and resilience of the soil, increase biodiversity and reduce environmental impact. At Danone, they apply it in their Madre Tierra project, which aims to strengthen and empower small producers in Mexico, specifically from the community of Maravatío, Michoacán, in the cultivation of strawberries, in addition to connecting them with competitive markets, promoting practices sustainable and providing access to technology to improve the management of their production.
Achievements
Regarding the results of Danone derived from its actions in sustainability, it is found, at the level of circularity in packaging and climate change, that in Bonafont, 70% of its volume is bottled in 100% reused jug bottles. In addition, they use 40% recycled PET and 100% of the bottles are recyclable. Likewise, there is a commitment that its packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Today, 69% of it is recyclable.
“Regarding recycling, we are founding partners of ECOCE, and we work together with the industry to increase the collection rate of recyclables and educate Mexicans on recycling issues,” said Gerardo Chávez.
At the level of sustainable and sustainable livestock, with the Margarita project more than 300 small farmers and more than 500 families have benefited with support technology and processes, this alliance allows them to generate 25% of the milk they use in Danone, in addition this It has made it possible to reduce its c02 footprint by 13% over the last year.
With the Madre Tierra program, they have promoted more than 140 producers trained in agricultural issues and added 28 producers included in the Danone value chain, bringing 68 producers closer with access to local agroclimatic data to improve the management of their orchards.
food waste
It should be noted that sustainable eating also implies the consumption of local and seasonal foods, which reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting food and supports local producers, contributing to the development of sustainable communities and the local economy.
Reducing food waste is also an important aspect of sustainable eating, as it is estimated that one third of the food produced in the world is wasted, which has a significant impact on the environment. Reducing food waste can be achieved through consumer education and awareness, public policy implementation, and collaboration between food producers and retailers.
Finally, from Danone they affirm that “being faithful to our vision and mission. Our commitment to provide health through nutrition and hydration to the greatest number of people, taking care of the environment in which we live, motivates us to develop increasingly healthy products that can satisfy the tastes and nutritional needs of the entire Mexican population and of the world”, highlighted Gerardo Chávez.
