Encouraging sustainable development, reducing our ecological footprint, making more environmentally friendly choices... are recurring themes at all levels of society, increasingly demanded by the end consumer. Although societal pressure is strong, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) reporting is not yet mandatory for all companies.
But as this impacts our planet and our very livelihoods it is only a matter of time before the reporting of this data becomes mandatory. As a result, many organizations are today taking a closer look at the environmental impact of their business. There are many agendas: to respond to societal pressure; to gain knowledge of their processes; to better equip themselves to communicate; to prepare for future regulation; to ensure the long-term future of their business.
‘Time spent of reconnaissance is seldom wasted’ is a phrase usually attributed to the military, but it most certainly applies here. Jonathan Goumon, Business Development Manager at Consentio confirms this: "A producer or other operator in the chain who takes an interest in its ecological footprint today is bound to be a player who will make more enlightened decisions tomorrow."
Measuring is knowing
Taking an interest in your ecological footprint is more than just making up numbers; it requires analysis and investigation. Each organization is different but the basic analysis is the same, it's a question of dissecting each process: growing conditions for a producer, supplies, packaging, transport... What natural resources are used, and what quantities of carbon are emitted? The subject is complex and has global ramifications, so it's essential to take a detailed approach, analyzing every aspect as accurately as possible. There are already calculation models available and experts who can help organizations get started.
CO2Correct, based in the Netherlands, offers its services to professionals in the fruit and vegetable sector, in the form of a complete analysis for carbon emissions, based on general data supplemented by specific calculations, followed by a compensation program. Carrying out an analysis opens our eyes to the multiple components of the equation itself. It always brings new knowledge to the producer, sometimes prompting a different approach,or a change certain processes. "Our mission is to facilitate the process and make it accessible to as many people as possible. As the data is collected, a consolidation is made possible, highlighting the areas of the chain where the CO2 impact is highest. It's not about being perfect, but about making the right decisions," explains Stephan Schneider of CO2 Correct. Here's an example of the results, where for the production of a kilo of man goes grown in Peru, transported by boat and sold in a European supermarket, each element of its production is analyzed separately and in great depth.
The role of technology
Within the agricultural sector, sustainable development is accelerating with the advent of digital solutions supporting precision farming, process automation, commercial interactions, etc. Consentio is part of this evolution, and facilitates communication and transparency between the various operators throughout the supply chain. Jonathan Goumon confirms: "We're committed to enabling dialogue around environmental issues, because they're only going to become more important in the future. Today, we're focusing on product origin, which is visible at a glance on our platform. And we'll be going much further: our ambition isto provide our users with the ability to communicate their sustainability data and the ‘early-adopters’ will certainly stand out from the crowd. Consentio is a powerful platform to encourage the sharing of sustainability data and thus drive the whole sector forward."
… To be continued!
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