Sustainability is much more than carbon footprint. Sustainability is a concept that is present in many current discussions and plays a key role in future investment decisions. However, people may not always fully understand what sustainability is really about, in that they often forget the social aspect. Sustainability can be defined as a complex and dynamic balance between economic (increased yields, energy savings, etc.), environmental (renewable feedstocks such as biomass and energy, waste reduction, biodegradability, biodiversity, preservation of natural resources such as water, soils, etc.) and social matters (fair trade, profit sharing, access to genetic resources, rural economy, women empowerment, etc.).
Some companies express their sustainability efforts myopically through carbon footprint estimates. But carbon footprint itself is absolutely not a guarantee of a sustainable contribution to biodiversity, biodegradability, fair trade, rural employment and so many other indicators that warrant a balanced business model.
Social criteria is integral to the sustainability picture of each ingredient and is of increasing emotional value to many consumers in their purchasing decision. As previously reported, millions of farmers, laborers and pickers are highly dependent on our sector. Their lives form the third pillar of sustainability, the human footprint.
Find part one here.
For the full article, please check out the Perfumer & Flavorist+ May 2022 issue.
