On 9 May 2024, during the European Economic Congress, during the panel discussion ‘Sustainable Polish Food’, we discussed what challenges await the sustainable food market in Poland, including carbon footprint management in the supply chain and the deposit system.
The debate was participated by:
- Małgorzata Bojańczyk – Director, Association for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Poland
- Andrzej Gantner – Vice-President of the Board, Director General, Polish Federation of Food Industry Employers’ Associations
- Piotr Her – CEO of SuperDrob SA and LipCo Foods
- Tadeusz Mroczkowski – President of the Management Board, SM Mlekpol
- Maciej Otrębski – Member of the Board, Polish Union of Vegetable Food Producers, Head of Development, RoślinnieJemy
- Sebastian Tolwinski – Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Central and South Eastern Europe, Upfield
- Bartosz Urbaniak – Head of Food & Agro Banking for Central & Eastern Europe and Africa, BNP Paribas Bank,
The debate was moderated by Olimpia Wolf, journalist from portalspozywczy.pl.
Many food companies in Poland are not yet ready to implement carbon projects in the supply chain, which can hinder proper reporting and even expose them to accusations of greenwashing, as the European Commission’s legislative initiatives are moving in this direction, participants in the debate pointed out. Up to now, one way of dealing with supply chain emissions has been through an offsetting mechanism, i.e. offsetting greenhouse gas emissions with so-called carbon credits. However, the European Commission and the European Parliament explicitly recommend reducing the carbon footprint in Scope 3, i.e. in one’s own supply chain. This gives greater credibility to environmental measures and means working more closely with suppliers and farmers.
The results of a study by the Association for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Poland and Accenture show that the implementation of Scope 3 emissions reporting is still hampered by low levels of supplier engagement, the use of statistical rather than actual data to calculate emissions, and insufficient focus by companies themselves on emissions in their supply chain.
The results of the study show that the carbon footprint of direct Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions is measured by 90% of the leading sustainability companies in the Polish agri-food sector. However, these emissions represent only 10% of the total emissions of food companies – as 90% of the food industry’s emissions are Scope 3 emissions, i.e. indirect emissions along the supply chain. Scope 3 emissions are measured by only 55% of the companies surveyed, and they are based on statistical data rather than information from suppliers. This means that even the largest companies are still working to implement ESG reporting and involve their suppliers in the process.
– Małgorzata Bojańczyk pointed this out during the debate.
One of the biggest challenges in implementing a Scope 3 carbon footprint measurement mechanism is working with suppliers. Farmers need to understand why the company needs emissions data from them. Food companies themselves have to report such data because EU legislation requires them to do so. It is therefore important to educate and support farmers in the process of collecting emissions data.
It is worth noting that the European Green Deal itself is not about agriculture. It is about saving us from global warming and its effects. Agriculture is one of the many elements of the European Green Deal. On the other hand, agriculture covers 40% of the EU’s land area, contributes about 2% of GDP and employs about 8% of the population, but is responsible for 30% of all emissions. However, agriculture, unlike other industries, has a unique ability to absorb carbon from the air on a truly massive scale. Farming is being reshaped under these new assumptions. Farmers will not only be responsible for producing food, but also for reducing emissions. They will be part of a wider system throughout the supply chain.
– indicated Bartosz Urbaniak.
When we talk about sustainability and carbon footprint, we have to keep the consumer in mind. After all, it is the consumer who decides what food to buy at the supermarket shelf. Reducing emissions by reducing animal production will mean higher prices for meat or dairy products. Changing consumer habits to reduce meat consumption and replace it with plant-based products is less obvious. This segment of the food market is growing, but is still not comparable to animal production.
When discussing emissions, it is important to remember that we are talking about food. This means that the emissions of a food product must be weighed against the nutritional value it provides to humans. In this case, poultry and fish are among the least carbon intensive products in terms of the nutritional value they provide. At present, poultry accounts for 60% of our sales and we are involved in 11 other food segments, we support vegetable production and we want products from this segment to grow as well. But the choice of customers and consumers is still on the side of animal production.
– stressed Piotr Her.
The European Economic Congress is the largest business event in Central Europe, offering discussions, ideas, inspiration and commentary on the most important socio-economic issues of the day. This year’s ECE was held at the International Congress Centre in Katowice.