Miller Magazine Issue: 122 February 2020

76 ARTICLE MILLER / FEBRUARY 2020 food industry must also take responsibility for reducing gre- enhouse gas emissions and the negative climate impacts caused by the food supply chain. The environmental crisis in the Amazon Rainforest, where wildfires are releasing vast amounts of stored CO 2 into the atmosphere, is yet another testament to the urgent need for emission reductions, not only in food, but across all industries. The food industry sits at the very core of several environ- mental issues, being both responsible for nearly two-thirds of global biodiversity loss and a major contributor to climate change. Agriculture currently accounts for 12 Gt of CO 2 per year of global carbon emissions, a number projected to rise up by more than 50 per cent by 2050. If unchecked, that level of emissions would represent more than 70 per cent of the available carbon ‘budget’ in order to reach the targets set forth in the Paris Agreement. One area with significant room for improvement is transport and the distance that food travels from farm to fork. Consumer demand has led to an expectation that all produce is available 365 days a year and the understanding that some produce is seasonal has been lost, meaning it must be imported from around the world to meet the wants of the consumer. What foods we eat also must be addressed. In its annual report, the WRI has outlined how the food industry can re- duce its GHG output and become more sustainable, in light of expectations for population growth and food demand in 2050. It states that by decreasing the amount of beef and lamb eaten and instead eating more fruit and vegetables, emissions can be significantly reduced. However, the WRI also states that the food supply cha- in must increase the productivity of livestock and crops to “higher than historic levels”– in short, increase the supply of food, but reduce the land usage for a more sustainable output. Using innovative technologies and farming metho- ds that lower agricultural GHG emissions is one of the re- commendations in WRI report. The TOMRA Eco steamer peeler has been designed with reducing energy output in mind, and offers a sustainable way to produce food. This machine can lower energy usa- ge by 25 per cent, which means savings of up to $90,000 per year for production businesses, as well as helping re- duce water usage (28 per cent less steam compared to similar machines). Innovative sorting solutions also allow for any defecti-