However, as a processing sector the FPI sits in between the
supplier of its raw materials (agriculture and fisheries) and its
consumers (the food retail sector and ultimately the consumer
– you and me). The FPI is the buyer of about two-thirds to threequarters
of all UK agricultural produce and involves about 1.2 million people indirectly in the food supply chain. Thus, when
considering the sustainability credentials of the FPI we must
take into account its position in the supply chain from raw
materials to final disposal. A decision on the limits of the
responsibility of the FPI will have a marked influence on the
sector’s impact on the environment (such as energy usage and
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions), society and economics. It
could be argued that the major arbiters of sustainability are the
big supermarkets which dominate UK food retailing and who,
in appealing to consumer pressure for sustainable foods, make
demands on the FPI and before that to the agriculture and fishing
sectors for sustainable practices which can be evidenced.
Techniques such as life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprinting
(CF), eco-labelling, supply chain management and
responsible resourcing have all been used to promote the sustainability
credentials of the food industry as a whole. The
Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach which recognises the need
for environmental, social and economic balance in attaining
sustainability should be reflected by companies in their Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
Food processing covers a wide range of technologies which
are designed to make the final products safe, stable and attractive
to the consumer (a combination of different flavours,
aromas and textures). These technologies involve varying