Chapter3 - Sustainability of the food supply chain; energy, water and waste

Abstract

The sustainability of the food supply chain depends on conservation of resources, primarily energy and water, and the reduction of food waste, as well as impacts on environmental quality. In developed economies, the portion of the food supply chain beyond production of raw materials requires about 80% of the total energy needed to deliver and prepare food for consumption. In addition, significant amounts of fresh water are used for these same sectors of the food chain, and well over 20% of the food is wasted after delivery of the product to the consumer. A systematic approach to improving the sustainability of the food supply system requires a sector-by-sector and process-by-process analysis. The fundamental concepts of process analysis and design are not new in the development of processes for food. Most often, the concepts are used to ensure that the processes ensure safety or shelf-life against known microbial populations, while maximizing the retention of quality attributes. These same concepts can be extended to the analysis of individual processes with the additional goal of reducing energy, water and waste in the food supply chain. The outcomes from these additional process design steps will ensure the goals of product safety and shelf-life, while enhancing food quality attributes, as well as the reduction of energy, fresh water, and food waste throughout the food supply chain.