Baking & Snack - October 2021 - 19

SPECIAL REPORT
Sustainability
FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
E
Today's CPG companies can make a real impact on the planet
and people through expansive sustainability plans.
by Charlotte Atchley
Extreme weather and an alarming United Nations report
released this summer on climate change have prompted
fresh scrutiny of environmental goals. The coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic laid bare global inequities.
Increasingly, consumers are expecting large businesses
to demonstrate leadership and take meaningful steps toward
addressing these problems in the world.
" Likely because of this feeling that they have limited
ability to impact change, consumers are looking for
companies to lead the charge in creating sustainable
products, " said Britt Calvert, director of innovation at
the market research firm Ipsos.
In fact, in the firm's research on consumer attitudes
toward sustainability, 39% of respondents said companies
are responsible for ensuring consumer products are
environmentally and socially responsible, compared to
26% who laid that responsibility at the feet of government
and 13% who chose the consumers themselves.
But what does environmentally and socially responsible
even mean these days? Bakeries and large consumer
packaged goods (CPG) companies have had sustainability
plans in place for decades, but the definitions continue
to expand as new issues arise.
As the news and market research demonstrates, sustainability
appears poised to grow in importance and
complexity. Sustainability once referred to the energy
and water consumption of a plant. Today it touches every
aspect of a company and requires coordinated efforts
across industry to make a difference. And food manufacturers,
bakeries and other CPGs are uniquely positioned
to make a significant impact on the problems that
fall under the umbrella of sustainability.
Point of no return
Consumers want to support companies that are trying to
do the right thing, but the right thing has grown, especially
in the past year.
" The scope of what consumers expect from brands
has expanded with COVID-19 shining a light on social
and economic inequalities, " Ms. Calvert said. " Some
consumers are being more thoughtful of what they're
buying and where they're buying it from, perhaps supporting
a local or minority-owned business or using
their buying power to support brands with an ethos
similar to their own. "
Sustainability now encompasses not just environmental
concerns but also issues of economic equity and even
access to good nutrition. In fact, Ipsos' research found
that two-thirds of US consumers believe brands that
contribute positively to society will be the most successful
in the long run.
When it comes to the environmental impact of food
and grocery companies, consumers' top concerns revolve
around sustainable packaging and limiting food
waste. On a human level, consumers expect companies
to offer fair wages and provide safe working conditions
www.bakingbusiness.com / October 2021 Baking & Snack 19
Investing in
alternative
energy sources
has enabled
Grupo Bimbo to
reach aggressive
energy goals.
Grupo Bimbo
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - October 2021

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