APAC SwedCham Webinar: Can food systems enable a sustainable and resilient food value chain for tomorrow?, 14 November 2023

The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) recently hosted a thought-provoking APAC SwedCham webinar, titled ‘Can Food Systems Enable Sustainable and Resilient Food Value Chain for Tomorrow?’ on 14 November 2023.  The webinar aimed to address the pressing issue of food loss and waste (FLW), which contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, impacting climate stability and triggering extreme weather events. 

Distinguished industry specialists from Alfa Laval, Tetra Pak Group, and ABB delved into approaches to address sustainable food and beverage systems problems and provide some innovative solutions. 

Patrick Horner, Global Technology Lead for Waste Evaporation and Zero Liquid Discharge at Alfa Laval, Denmark, explored the role of water stewardship and circularity in promoting sustainability within the food industry, giving a case study such as how they transform the brewery wastewater management and reduce the water footprint in food production. 

Katie Carson, Director Corporate Affairs Food & Climate Policy, Tetra Pak Group, Belgium, shared strategies to reduce food loss and waste.  She emphasised responsible corporate practices, from measuring food loss and waste across the food supply chain to fostering education and awareness-raising initiatives on food loss and waste prevention. 

John Rieusset, Sector Lead – Food and Beverage, ABB Australia Pty Ltd, focused on the critical aspects of reducing energy and food waste in food and beverage manufacturing plants with ABB’s technologies.  ABB also has expertise that could help food and beverage producers lower their energy consumption without sacrificing productivity, contributing to more efficient and sustainable operations.  

Special thanks to Linda Nordin, SACC Sustainability Committee and Circular Economy Specialist at SMEC, for facilitating this informative discussion. 

Thank you very much to all those who participated in the webinar and industry specialists for the very insightful presentation and diverse perspectives!  By bringing together industry leaders, this webinar successfully shed light on the issues surrounding food systems.