Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products.
Food waste in all parts of the food value chain must decrease. Lantmännen works for an efficient use of resources and reuse of materials to minimize waste.
It is a fact that too much food is wasted. At the same time as the food production has a significant environmental and climate impact and the need of food is increasing. About a third of all food produced in the world does not end up in someone’s stomach.
Farmland, about the size of China*, is used to produce the amount that ends up as food waste. That is a huge problem for the environment, the climate and for an efficient use of the planet’s resources. The UN Agenda 2030 has set a target to half the food waste by 2030; see especially Sustainable Development Goal number 12. For Sweden, that means a decrease from 45 to 20 kilos per person and year.
Food waste in all parts of the value chain
Not all food waste can be avoided, there are inedible parts of food, for example skin, bones and coffee grounds, that are to be separated and collected by a waste company for production of bio based sewage gas. The unavoidable food waste though, must decrease.
There is food waste in all parts of the food value chain, in the production, distribution, stores and at the consumer.
What does Lantmännen do?
Lantmännen wants to contribute to decrease of food waste through optimization in all of the food value chain and to turn the linear use of resources to a circular.
An important part of our work to minimize spill, is a coordinated and efficient use of resources throughout our production of food, feed and energy. The raw materials that do not reach food quality are used for production of feed or ethanol. By that, we use the all material, where it is optimal and almost nothing is wasted.
Lantmännen also works focused to use waste from our processes, and also other producers’. The reuse of grain based waste and residues are an additional material in Lantmännen’s bio refinery. We make use of carbohydrate rich food waste such as pasta, bread and soda and produce ethanol from it and by that creating a circular business. Another advantage of the bio ethanol is very low climate emissions, as the fuel is renewable. By that, we make use of the planet’s resources and create value from the food waste.
Lantmännen also wants to, with advice and recipes inspire the consumer to take care of the food. We also try to make it easier for the consumer, for example by offering products in smaller packages that is used all at once.
Lantmännen is one of the companies in Sustainable Food Chain Initiative where food waste is a prioritized area. Lantmännen also participates in local, country-specific initiatives on food waste.