Brazil Important Player in Sustainable Foods
Sustainable ingredients, food traceability and tackling waste were focal themes of the 2nd Latin American edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit. Hosted in São Paulo on 29-30th June, the summit brought together leading organizations involved in sustainability and eco-labeling in the food industry. Ricardo Mastroti, Ethical Markets partner in Ethical Biomimicry Finance® attended the Summit.
Developments in sustainable ingredients were featured. What advances are occurring in natural sweeteners and algae-based ingredients? What novel materials are making their way into food and beverage applications? How can companies innovate using sustainable ingredients? With growing concerns about food origins and safety, traceability is of major importance. Using case studies, strengthening supply chains for transparency and sustainability were discussed. What certification schemes provide traceability? An update was given on GM labelling; what are the implications of developments in Europe and the US to Latin American producers? Food waste is becoming a major concern since about a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost in the supply chain. What can food companies and retailers do to mitigate food losses? How can consumer behavior be changed to reduce food waste? Such questions were addressed in a high-level forum.
Since 2009, the Sustainable Foods Summit has been discussing leading issues the food industry faces concerning sustainability and eco-labels, such as Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, etc. The aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues.