Health and Sustainability on the plate
Bernard Deryckere, CEO Alpro
As a Belgian soy food manufacturer active throughout the EU, Alpro is looking forward to the start of the Belgian EU Presidency,particularly in the field of food. Food and culinary habits reflect well the European construction: they are not only at the heart of tradition and culture, but are a testament to diversity and local richness. Meals bring people together to share big ideas, to negotiate new partnerships, to celebrate deals or to commemorate historic events, while adding a local touch.
Food, however, is also part of the material world: it gives people energy and vital nutrients. It is the basis of human health and is a significant contributor to economic activity, both in agriculture and the processing industry.
While taste is a main driver of the food industry, both health and wellness, and sustainability, are gaining in importance. Although consumers start to realize that their food habits do have an impact on both their personal and the Planet’s health, there is still a long way to go. It is up to the European Institutions to further foster this awareness and stimulate change in consumer behaviour - in an objectivite and balanced way - for the sake of current and future generations.
In order to support consumers making well-informed decisions on their healthy food choices, several initiatives have been launched at European level. Nutrient profiles, health and nutrition claims and food labelling are a part of many legislative dossiers that the Belgian Presidency will have to deal with. These are noble initiatives, in-so-far as they don’t distort competition by discriminating against certain food categories, don’t slow down industry innovation and provide objective guidance for the final consumer. Relative to the latter, and as a matter of example, it is generally accepted and recommended by nutritionists to increase consumption of vegetal foods. We are looking forward to seeing these findings in the upcoming regulations.
Relative to sustainability, few consumers yet realize that their personal food choices can make a difference. For example, in terms of global warming, food choices do have as important an impact as personal transport or heating one’s home. Recent reports by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the United Nations Environment Programme and several universities and research institutes lead to a consensus view that agriculture, and its associated food processing, do have a significant impact on the environment. They pinpoint that animal products like meat and dairy do use a disproportional quantity of land and water, and emit significantly more greenhouse gases. At the same time, they recommend that our diets evolve more towards vegetal foods, contrary to the evolution at global level. By doing so, we also tackle the global challenges of food security and eradiation of famine.
It is mandatory that these health and sustainability topics are taken into consideration in the context of the upcoming CAP reform. More incentives should be given to produce and process healthy and sustainable food, while financial support for less healthy and sustainable food products should be accordingly diminished. Of course, these changes over time should be an evolution rather than a revolution,because, as with a person’s diet, it’s all about finding the right balance.