Part of EP’s Fuelling Productivity campaign, it will also look at the move towards a Circular Food Economy.
Chris Sheppardson, CEO at EP Business in Hospitality said: “The linear food system is ripe for disruption. For every dollar spent on food, society pays two dollars in health, environmental, and economic costs. With 80% of all food expected to be consumed in cities by 2050, businesses, public bodies, organisations, institutions, and the people located within them hold the power to revolutionise our food system.”
Sheppardson continued: “The transition to a circular food economy will see production, which regenerates rather than harms the natural systems upon which it relies, food waste designed out and food by-products used at their highest values.”
The partnership was sparked by the genuine challenges companies face today with loss of productivity and decline in trust and culture.
Mark Williams, head of business services at Barings added: “Better diets, greater nutrition and attractive social spaces play a key role in corporate wellbeing and affect employees, society and communities across the country, but there is a bigger picture to embrace and a need for a greater recognition of the issues businesses face today. If companies could simply reduce their number of lost service days by 20% this equates to millions of pounds and makes many of the arguments over the food service model seem insignificant.”
The Fuelling Productivity campaign calls for action on three areas:
Source food grown re-generatively and locally
Food comes from natural systems, which are inherently regenerative. Replicating these practices will improve the overall health of local ecosystems, diversify the food supply to increase resilience, reduce packaging needs, and shorten supply chains. Urban and peri-urban farming will see connections strengthened with food and the farmers who grow it.
Make the most of food
Cities play a crucial role in keeping food at its highest value and eliminating waste. They can become hubs for the redistribution of surplus foods and a thriving bio-economy where food by-products are transformed into organic fertilisers, biomaterials, medicines, and bioenergy.
Design and market healthier food products
There are no healthy food choices in an unhealthy food system. We can change food design and marketing to reshape preferences and habits. This will ensure that healthy products become easily accessible, while valuable nutrients circulate back to the soil safely.