Food Industry Continues on the Path of Healthiness and Transparency in Production Processes

*by Lilia Kawazoe

In recent years, we have noticed a significant change in consumer behavior. People are increasingly concerned about the quality of the food they consume. Recently, the Brazilian Council for Organic and Sustainable Production (Organis) conducted a survey and identified that six out of ten Brazilians associate the consumption of organic foods with health issues. The study also highlights that among the most consumed foods are: leafy greens (63%), vegetables (25%), fruits (25%), and cereals (12%).

In this growing pursuit of more natural eating, we also observe strong engagement from the food industries, which are moving toward the healthiness movement. In other words, the sector works to meet the needs of those concerned not only with quality but also with the origin of what they consume. Therefore, they invest in a fully traceable production chain, in which consumers can identify the source of the ingredients that make up the food, the positive social impact generated, and the climate benefits.

The advantages of initiatives like this can be understood through the analysis recently conducted by the business initiative Ecosystem Services Trend (TeSE), from the Center for Sustainability Studies at the São Paulo Business Administration School of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGVces/EAESP-FGV). The study evaluated the benefits of sourcing raw materials from non-timber forest production over the next five years. To do so, it monitored the production process of Brazil nut oil in Juruena, Mato Grosso, and cupuaçu butter in Porto Velho, Rondônia, marketed by Concepta Ingredients to the food industry.

The conclusion was that, thanks to the sustainable agro-extraction promoted by the company in these two municipalities, a positive externality of R$ 10 million will be generated by preventing deforestation in the monitored areas. Furthermore, it was found that 3% of the area where the projects are carried out would be deforested within five years, with cattle ranching being the most likely activity in the absence of initiatives of this scale, which would result in emissions of approximately 85,000 tons of CO2.

Figures like these demonstrate that, thanks to this transformation process involving more engaged consumers and the transparent work of industries, we will still witness extremely positive changes in the food sector. Increasingly, issues related to socio-environmental development, biodiversity conservation, and the sustainable use of raw materials will guide this segment.

* Lilia Kawazoe is the commercial manager at Concepta Ingredients, a business unit of the Sabará Group dedicated to developing natural and technological solutions focused on the food, beverage, animal nutrition, and veterinary pharmaceutical industries.