Building a greener future together
 

In order to build a greener future and to transform into sustainable industries, both the Food and the Energy sector have set objectives which are quite similar. Both industries aim to lower their GHG emissions significantly.

• Production, processing and consumption of food must be reinvented in order to realise net-zero emissions. Such reinventions could involve regenerative farming and vertical integration such as farm-to-fork initiatives.
• The energy production system should shift to alternative energy sources based on green electricity and green molecules (e.g. biofuels and hydrogen). Renewable energy share in global electricity generation should increase from 28.7% in 2021 to 90% in 2050.
• Local sourcing will provide industries with a more stable supply of resources. Recent events, such as the pandemic, show the fragility of the global supply chain. This has increased the importance of local sourcing, and, additionally, higher accountability for CO2 emissions, waste, and labour involved. The creation of shorter supply chains requires an ecosystem of locally produced resources. This will decrease the pressure on natural resources and the environment.

Circularity is a key objective to maintain access to the (scarce) natural resources that are necessary for the production of food and (renewable) energy. Transforming food waste into valuable products (such as biofuels) could lift the pressure on limited resources. On the other hand, by-products of both conventional and renewable energy production can be returned to the food value chain. 

The Food and Energy industry objectives are aligned and their value chains are connected. Let us now consider them as part of an integrated ecosystem. In our report, you can find some examples which will show that by supporting each other, both industries can achieve their individual goals in their journey to becoming more sustainable.

Source: Deloitte Netherlands. 

Authors: Karin de Sousa Nobre, Kirill Kalinkin and Willemijn Hooimeijer.

Are you ready?
 

What would happen if the Food and Energy industry joined forces to create a greener future with the security of supply? This report will show examples of promising synergies, offering the opportunity to allocate resources more efficiently and to fulfil common objectives.

Download Deloitte Netherlands’ Addressing sustainable goals together report to find out how the Food and Energy industries can achieve their sustainability goals more rapidly and/or at a larger scale than on their own.