Meat processing giant ABP Food Group has been selected to be part of a European food consortium tasked with improving supply chain sustainability.
The consortium, which also includes PepsiCo and Nestlé, was assembled by EU body the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to improve food production over the next seven years.
The project, called EIT Food, will focus on various issues within the food industry with programmes such as The Zero Waste Agenda, which will look at changing the produce-use-dispose food model into a “circular bio-economy” that would see organic waste and by-products treated as a resource.
EIT Food also hopes to overcome low consumer trust within the European food industry, and train more than 10,000 students and food professionals through workshops, summer schools and online educational programmes.
A range of companies and research institutions from across Europe will invest about €1.2 billion in EIT Food programmes between now and 2023, alongside a €400m investment from the EIT itself.
“We are delighted to be part of this prestigious and ground-breaking initiative, which will help tackle the many challenges facing the food supply chain,” said Dean Holroyd, group technical and sustainability director at ABP Food Group.
“From ABP’s perspective, this is a great opportunity to be partnering with leading global players as we look at ways to improve the sustainable production and processing of beef from farm to fork. We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues in EIT Food with a view to making a lasting and positive impact on European and global food production.”
Peter van Bladeren, global head regulatory and scientific affairs for Nestlé and chair of the Interim Supervisory Board of EIT Food, said: “EIT Food is committed to create the future curriculum for students and food professionals as a driving force for innovation and business creation; it will give the food manufacturing sector, which accounts for 44 million jobs in Europe, a unique competitive edge.”
Other members of the consortium include Cambridge University, Nielsen, Robert Bosch and Sodexo.
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