Eco Labelling: a new Standard in Sustainability
As the dust settles on the COP26 climate talks, a quiet anticipation in the food and beverage sector awaits to see what changes will occur as a result?
Eco Labelling can be dated back to the late nineteenth century. Following decades of exploitation in the colonies, Europeans (particularly the Dutch) felt the demand to provide proof of ethical production on their Indonesian coffee plantations. Debates around sustainability rose to the surface during the 1980s as the world opened up to free trade and with this came the advent of cheaply produced goods overseas. A solution to manage this could naturally be found in the form of sustainability standards and ecolabels.
In its recent publication, WRAP revealed that the food and drink industry were responsible for some 35% of the total carbon emissions released into the atmosphere each year. Therefore the spotlight can only serve to intensify on companies operating in this industry.
Popular beer brand Budweiser had been somewhat ahead of the curve it would seem. In 2018 the brand stamped its product: “Made with 100% Renewable Energy” as a move towards setting the standard for the alcoholic beverage industry. This would mean a reduction of around 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
The statement released at the time by their Global VP Brian Perkins was telling however: “We know that climate change is an important issue for consumers…”