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 current food needs of people, without any discrimination between generations to meet their needs.
The multinational Danone bases its strategy “one planet one health” on the development of more healthy products from the source and at the same time promotes the development of socially responsible and sustainable technologies. “We see sustainable food as a necessary search to produce food in a way that respects the planet and at the same time to help people’s health. Although the production of food is the ultimate goal of the collective doctrine, for us it is only one of the points. The goal is to achieve sustainability in all the links of the chain, that is , in all the stages through which production passes until consumption, packaging, transportation and sale,” says Gerardo Chávez, VP of Operations at Danone. Latin
The current food system is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and biodiversity loss. Intensive food production and industrial agriculture have a negative impact on soil, water and air quality. In addition, large-scale food and dairy production requires large amounts of water, feed and energy, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
To address these problems, a sustainable diet has been promoted, which is based on the consumption of nutritious and healthy foods that are produced in an environmentally responsible manner. This involves the use of sustainable farming practices, such as organic farming, agroecological farming and regenerative agriculture, which promote biodiversity and soil conservation.
“In order to fulfill the vision of growth and development in a sustainable and socially responsible way, we ensure that all our processes focus on innovation and the creation of friendly projects, which is why regenerative agriculture is part of our fundamental pillars. “Added the speaker.
Regenerative agriculture is an approach to agricultural processes that achieve soil health and resilience, increase biodiversity and reduce environmental impact. Danone, they apply it in their Madre Tierra project, which aims to strengthen and enrich small producers in Mexico, specifically from the community of MaravatÃo, Michoacán, in the cultivation of strawberries, in addition to those linked to competitive markets, supporting practices are supported. providing access to technology to improve their production management.
Achievements
Regarding Danone’s results from its actions in sustainability, in the area of ​​circulation and climate change, it is detected that at Bonafont, 70% of its volume has been distributed in bottles of 100% of the pitcher. In addition, 40% of RED is recycled and 100% of the bottles used are recyclable. Also, it is a commitment that its packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Today, 69% of it is recyclable.
“With regard to recycling, we are founding ECOCE partners, and together with the industry to increase the collection of recyclables and to educate Mexicans on recycling issues,” said Gerardo Chávez.
In the context of sustainable and sustainable livestock, with Margarita more than 300 small farmers and more than 500 families have benefited in technical support and processes, this company allows them to use 25% of the milk in Danone, in addition to these. It was able to reduce its c02 footprint by 13% last year.
With the Madre Tierra program, they have promoted more than 140 producers trained in agriculture and added 28 producers included in the Danone value chain, bringing 68 producers closer access to local agroclimatic data for better apple management.
food waste
It should be noted that sustainable eating also implies the consumption of local and seasonal food, which reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting food and supports local producers, helping 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 a 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 education and awareness, public policy implementation, and cooperation between food and retailers.
Finally, Danone affirms that it is true to our vision and mission. Our commitment to health through nutrition and hydration for as many people as possible, caring for the environment in which we live, motivates us to develop ever more healthy products that can satisfy the tastes and nutritional needs of the entire Mexican population and the world. “, highlighted Gerardo Chávez.
