Misconceptions and the path to informed food sustainability

More than two-thirds of UK consumers find sustainably or ethically sourced ingredients more appealing than those that aren’t. This consumer sentiment combined with regulatory initiatives such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) make the push for more sustainable food practices clear as day.

But here’s the thing: food sustainability is packed with misconceptions. Well-intentioned businesses often make choices that seem sustainable but don’t truly make a big difference.

Our food’s environmental impact is messy. It’s not just about where ingredients come from, whether they’re organic, or how they are packaged. Real sustainability means zooming out, looking at the whole system and making smarter, science-backed decisions.

The flaws of simplistic sustainability thinking

One of the biggest pitfalls is clinging to singular, easy-to-grasp sustainability metrics. For example, many businesses prioritise sourcing local ingredients, because they assume that this automatically reduces emissions.

However, while reducing food miles can be beneficial, transportation – particularly by sea and rail – often accounts for just a tiny fraction of a product’s total emissions. In many cases, producing certain crops locally in controlled environments, such as greenhouses that require artificial heating, can generate more emissions than importing them from regions where they grow naturally. For example, avocados shipped from Mexico have lower emissions than locally sourced beef, so it’s important to examine the full lifecycle of food products rather than focusing solely on proximity.

Similarly, organic farming is often seen as the gold standard of sustainability. Yet while it is great for biodiversity and soil health, lower yields mean more land and resources are needed to produce the same amount of food. And what about animals farmed organically? Longer animal lifespans can mean more greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat.

While plant-based diets generally have a lower carbon footprint, this does not apply to all vegetarian choices. A diet high in dairy products can still result in significant emissions, sometimes comparable to or even exceeding those of poultry and eggs.

Research shows that meats like beef and lamb are the biggest contributors to food-related greenhouse gas emissions, so the most impactful shift will come from reducing these, rather than eliminating all animal products entirely​​. A balanced, science-driven approach, focusing on the most carbon-intensive foods rather than broad dietary labels, ensures that sustainability efforts can drive real change.

The bottom line is that sustainable food choices are not always obvious and businesses need to dig deeper.

Why Life-Cycle Assessment is a game changer

Having established the complexity of food sustainability, it’s clear that businesses need more robust, science-backed data to make the right decisions. This is where Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) solutions prove invaluable.

A good LCA evaluates the environmental impact of a product across its entire lifecycle, from production and processing to transportation, consumption and disposal. It moves businesses beyond surface-level assumptions and helps them focus on what will make the biggest impact.

Packaging waste, for example, is a big sustainability talking point, but its overall emissions footprint is small compared to agriculture. While packaging waste shouldn’t be ignored, if resources are limited, they should be directed towards initiatives that will have the greatest impact. A solid LCA can show that cutting emissions from farming, land use and feed production is far more effective at reducing the environmental impact than just swapping to compostable wrappers.

With the right tools, businesses can make smarter choices, optimise supply chains, and communicate sustainability efforts with transparency. Food tech solutions that track carbon footprints give companies the hard facts they need to make real, informed trade-offs, instead of following intuition and trends.

Data: the secret weapon for real sustainability

Sustainability isn’t just about being ethical or compliant; it demonstrates a fundamental shift towards efficiency, cost-effectiveness and long-term resilience.

Food businesses that use accurate data to assess their supply chain, ingredient sourcing and product lifecycle emissions are not only cutting their environmental impact but also improving operations and reducing costs.

Consider a restaurant chain: by using carbon footprint analysis, they might find that switching from dairy to oat milk slashes emissions without compromising menu quality. Similarly, a large food manufacturer may discover that optimising transportation methods or making production facilities more energy-efficient has a bigger impact than redesigning packaging.

Data-backed sustainability claims also build credibility. With regulations tightening, investors care about brands with measurable environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments. Brands demonstrating this are more likely to secure long-term investment and maintain consumer trust.

The future of sustainable food practices

Sustainability isn’t about quick fixes or marketing-led greenwashing. It’s about making strategic well-informed choices. The most effective sustainability strategies require nuance, data and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.

This means investing in technology that allows us to reduce our emissions. Technology that supports lifecycle-based decision-making is a crucial step in this journey.

Carbon footprint calculators, impact assessment platforms and supply-chain analytics can identify emissions hotspots and explore alternatives that balance sustainability with operational feasibility. Companies that embrace these tools can transition from well-meaning but ineffective efforts to truly impactful, measurable progress.

A joint commitment

Sustainability is no longer just a nice-to-have in the food industry; it is an absolute must. Businesses are pushing hard to go greener, spurred on by consumer demand, stricter regulations, and the undeniable urgency of climate change.

The industry is evolving fast. Businesses that embrace a more sophisticated, data-driven approach won’t just meet consumer and regulatory expectations, they will also gain a competitive advantage.

The path forwards may not be linear, but real progress starts with action. By prioritising comprehensive analysis over convenience, the food industry can turn sustainability from a buzzword to a business imperative.