Words by Smiley Team
Foundation Earth is seeking to raise awareness with the addition of environmental scores to food packaging.
The non-profit is bringing together global food industry giants, leading European supermarket chains and top scientists, supporting the pilot launch of the new labelling system this September.
“The development of a more transparent, sustainable global food supply system is of huge importance to the health of our planet and health of all citizens,” said Professor Chris Elliott OBE, chair of the foundation’s scientific advisory committee and a leading food scientist.
“We need a system based on the core principles of integrity.”
Prominent brands supporting the launch include Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Nestlé, Tyson Foods and Eroski.
Foundation Earth is also being backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
The new labelling system is being introduced with the aim of inspiring both shoppers and producers to make informed choices and become more sustainable.
With a traffic light styled system inspired by research at the University of Oxford, consumers will be able to see quickly and clearly the environmental impact of their purchases, whilst food producers will be encouraged to adapt their practices in order to improve their scores.
This in turn is intended to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 29 per cent of which can be linked to food production worldwide according to Statista.
Food systems have also been highlighted in the IPCC’s special report on climate change and land as key in the effort to respond to and mitigate climate change, with opportunities to reduce emissions.
The labelling pilot has been welcomed by politicians in the UK; George Eustice MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commented that “Foundation Earth’s ambitions to develop eco-labelling on food has the potential to help address the urgent challenges of sustainability and climate change.”
Echoing his sentiments, Labour’s shadow secretary Luke Pollard MP expressed his support for the launch, noting that “food production can be a contributor to both carbon emissions and biodiversity loss” and adding “I want to see clearer labelling on carbon and environmental credentials so people can back the brands and products doing the right thing by our planet.”
In parallel with the September pilot, a nine month development programme is under way in preparation for a Europe-wide introduction in autumn 2022.
Nestlé is supporting the programme, which will combine the methods of Mondra with a system created by an EU-funded group from Leuven University in Belgium and AZTI, a Spanish research agency.
This combination will inform the classification of products, analysing their complete lifecycles and comparing them.
“Foundation Earth will provide us with the opportunity to test environmental footprint methods, learn how different products perform and establish how consumers respond,” said Johannes Weber, European Affairs manager at Nestlé.
“We hope this could help inform discussions in Europe with regards to a harmonised system for environmental scores.”
For more information on Foundation Earth, visit foundation-earth.org.
