Global leading food and drinks producers are rushing to reduce carbon footprint by tackling one of the hidden culprits of emissions in value chains: fertilizers.
Ahead of disclosure rules for greenhouse emissions throughout supply chains enacted next year, firms including PepsiCo, Heineken and Nestlé have turned to green fertilizer start-ups to help tackle emission levels.
Nitrogen fertiliser is the highest emissions source for most foods. (Photo: iStock)
Crop nutrients are essential for producing half of the world’s food but also contribute significant CO2 emissions. Fertilizers used for agricultural ingredients account for about 15% of total emissions from beer supply chains and 35% to 40% for bread, according to industry experts.
Nitrogen-based fertilizer and farm manure make up 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, producing 2.6 billion tons of CO2 annually, more than global aviation and shipping combined, according to research published by Nature Food.
Petter Ostbo, chief executive of Atlas Agro, a green fertiliser start-up, said, “Nitrogen fertiliser is the highest emissions source for most foods,” especially for bread and cereal.
