What is carbon and what relevance does it have to the food supply chain?

Carbon is a chemical element present in all organisms on earth. Carbon is present in particular abundance in a solid and liquid form in trees, other plants and soils, and in various forms in all fossil fuels, including coal (solid), petroleum (liquid), and methane (gas) [1]. Carbon matters because it is everywhere and without it we would not exist. There are problems with carbon and it has become increasingly apparent that humans are contributing to climate change through their use of carbon. Carbon bonds with oxygen in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide [1]. It is this greenhouse gas which has been contributing to global warming along with other greenhouse gases such as methane. Human use of carbon is an increasing worry as populations continue to rise dramatically. There is pressure to burn more fossil fuels, produce more food and support a burgeoning global population.

Reducing carbon usage in the food supply chain

Carbon plays a significant role in the food supply chain. It is present in all stages, and depending on the product, can be used in large amounts, with a detrimental impact to the environment. There are several stages involved in the food supply chain that consume carbon. It is likely that your company will be involved in at least one stage of the food supply chain. The descriptions below show the importance of carbon at each stage and how reductions in carbon usage can be made.

Raw Materials

Raw materials form the basis for all man-made products. They include coal, oil, gas and wood/plant materials. Raw materials are carbon stores. Removing them from the ground uses carbon and produces carbon emissions. Once they have been removed from the ground and processed, they will continue to emit carbon into the atmosphere through their usage. In the case of fossil fuels, this can be through burning and plant materials can be processed and eaten. In a forest, carbon is stored in plant tissues (through photosynthesis) and is emitted back into the atmosphere through respiration [2]. Once a tree has been removed it is no longer a carbon store.

Carbon usage occurs in the extraction, transportation and processing of raw materials. For example fuel is spent when harvesting fields of crops or digging coal out of the ground. The raw material has to be moved to a processing plant or manufacturer. This again uses fuel, which is usually derived from oil. If you dig a crop out of the ground, then it usually has to be processed by machinery, powered by electricity, in order to turn it into a viable product for a manufacturer.

Ways you can cut carbon usage in raw materials:

• Reduce packaging – ask yourself, is it really needed, is there anywhere I can reduce the amount of packaging I use?
• Reduction in transportation by increasing localisation – improve your local markets. By sending your raw materials to local manufacturers and processors, you will ultimately use less fuel in transportation.
• More efficient processing – newer processing facilities are more likely to be more energy, and thus carbon efficient.
• Fewer inputs in farming and growing – cut down on artificial fertiliser and pesticide use (both derived from carbon heavy activities). Embrace more organic and traditional farming methods to do this.

Manufacture

Making something out of raw materials uses energy. Carbon is high in energy and is a necessary ingredient of food manufacturing. Coal can be burned to provide electricity to power the processing plants which make food products. Oil can be transformed into plastic packaging to protect food products from spoiling.

Carbon usage primarily occurs in the energy intensive activities of packaging production, food preparation, warehouse environmental management (they can use a lot of electricity to light and heat), and waste (including waste water) which has to be processed or disposed of.

Ways you can cut carbon usage in manufacturing:

• More efficient processing technologies
• A review of environmental management systems – looking at ways to reduce energy and carbon use in buildings
• Recycling more waste materials where possible
• Sourcing ingredients from local suppliers – thus cutting down on food miles.

Distribution and retail

Distribution and retail are mainly involved with the movement and the showcasing of products. The biggest carbon eaters in this sector are transportation, packaging (to protect the product and make the product more attractive to the consumer) and storage such as refrigeration which uses large amounts of electricity 24 hours a day.

Ways you can cut carbon usage in distribution and retail:

• More efficient refrigeration – make sure refrigeration units are as new as you can afford to ensure good efficiency ratings. Also ensure they are regularly serviced to check for leaks which can waste electricity. The refrigerator can waste a lot of electricity trying to compensate for the cool air it is losing.
• Better stock control to reduce waste – for example, keep an eye on weather reports. If there isn’t going to be a barbeque summer, then you may not want to order so much meat in.
• More intelligent packaging design – by working with your packaging provider, you can look at ways to cut down the amount of packaging you use, saving money, carbon and resources.
• Fuel efficient transportation systems – for example, newer more efficient vehicles; vehicles run on biofuels; or electric powered vehicles.

Consumer use

Consumers are also part of the food supply chain, and play a large part in carbon usage. This can be in waste packaging, such as putting vegetables in a plastic bag when they don’t really need to be in a bag at all. Transporting the food they have bought to their homes. With ‘out of town’ shopping centres, this can increase the food miles travelled. End-user storage, for example fridges and freezers also use energy. Food waste also goes to landfill which biodegrades as methane and carbon dioxide.

Ways you can cut carbon usage in consumers:

• Educate the consumer – you can advise a consumer on your packaging about the best way to dispose of the product.
• Encourage consumer to bring their own bags
• Minimise packaging in the first place – to reduce the amount going to landfill
• Avoid special ‘Buy One Get One Free’ deals – especially in fresh produce with a short shelf life. They encourage the consumer to buy more than they need, leading to more waste going to land fill.

Disposal/recycling

This is the end of the line for many food products and carbon usage occurs in the transportation of waste products to their end destination. Recycling plants can use energy in the recycling process. Commercial composting uses a lot of energy in the heating of organic matter in order to sterilise and biodegrade it to compost. Food which goes to landfill produces greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Incinerating waste also produces carbon dioxide through burning.

Ways you can cut carbon production in disposal and recycling include educating the consumer so that they can make the best disposal choices. Also better organised recycling can drastically reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

References

[1] American Hotel and Lodging Information Green Glossary (2010) http://www.ahla.com/green.aspx?id=25018

[2] University of California, Climate Change Terms and Definitions (2007) http://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/terms.html