Keen to Go Green
Sustainability is an issue which has steadily grown in importance for the global food industry over the last couple of decades. Consumers increasingly expect food manufacturers and their brands to align with environmental considerations (e.g. reduction of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, conservation of water and other important resources, reduction of food waste, etc.) and, in many instances, are prepared to pay more for products which match their expectations. Put simply, sustainability concerns have entered the mainstream and can no longer be ignored by food manufacturers.
By Jonathan Thomas
Sustainability is also a growing business. According to the 2024 edition of the Consumer Insights and Sustainability Benchmark report (which is published by BBL, Triple Pursuit and Glow), consumers in the US spent USD44bn on brands carrying some form of sustainability benefit in 2023, of which food, beverages and groceries accounted for a 37% share, equivalent to sales worth over $16bn. Although sustainability is a broad-ranging concept, the research found that the use of certain terms tends to attract the attention of consumers, examples of which include climate action and decarbonisation. The research found that 36% of US consumers consider climate change a major issue, a figure that compares with 15% for water issues and 8% for biodiversity.
Another key finding was that 69% of respondents wanted to see businesses communicate their sustainability efforts and commitments more, with 68% of the opinion that companies that do make the effort at communication have a more positive effect upon the environment than those that do not. However, there exists a significant amount of distrust amongst many consumers, with ‘greenwashing’ (i.e. misleading messages that suggest companies are more inclined towards sustainability than is the case in reality) a major concern. According to the research, 13% of US consumers completely trust companies when they discuss issues such as sustainability, though 9% mostly distrust them and 6% express complete distrust.
Regenerative Farming & Agriculture
One of the key sustainability trends within the global bakery industry is the move towards regenerative farming. This is a type of agriculture that focuses upon improving the health of the soil, as well as enhancing biodiversity and the resilience of the ecosystem. Much of the aim is to restore and enhance natural resources such as soil and water, rather than depleting them. Regenerative farming has gained in popularity over the last decade, as evidenced by increased uptake of practices such as crop rotation and eschewing the use of synthetic fertilisers. However, it does incur higher production costs (which can result in higher prices at the customer level), as well as resulting in lower yields and economies of scale.
However, consumer awareness of regenerative agriculture remains at low levels throughout much of the world. A 2024 study by Purdue University in the US found that 43% of consumers had no familiarity with the concept of regenerative agriculture, while an additional 28% were slightly familiar with it. Furthermore, many US consumers appear to associate regenerative agriculture with premium priced foods, with the maintenance of food prices ranked more highly than environmental considerations such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For those willing to pay more for products linked with regenerative agriculture, 45% claimed to support the concept, while 42% felt the government should be responsible for funding regenerative agriculture and farming methods.
Flour is a key bakery ingredient that is becoming associated with regenerative agriculture. According to research from the UK-based Zero Carbon Forum and Wildfarmed, 3.6 million tonnes of carbon could be saved by 2030 if every operator within the UK hospitality and brewing industries switched to flour and barley sourced from regenerative farming methods. According to the research, flour and barley production account for almost 3% of carbon emissions for the two industries. Wildfarmed is one of the leaders within the UK market for regenerative agriculture, supplying flour to customers such as Waitrose, M & S, Greggs and the Ask Italian chain of restaurants.
One of Wildfarmed’s leading UK-based competitors is Shipton Mill, which specialises in organic varieties of flour produced using regenerative agricultural techniques. Examples from its range include Light Malthouse, Dark Rye and 100% Wholemeal. Other companies present in the sector include Matthew Cotswold Flour (whose range includes flours such as Wholemeal Spelt, Traditional White and White Spelt) and Eurostar Commodities, which launched a new range of regenerative flours in February 2025. Named Rise Re;Gen, these flours were produced in partnership with The Green Farm Collective (GFC) and are available in Strong White and All Purpose varieties.
Other companies within the baking industry have also been embracing the concept of regenerative agriculture. One example from the UK is the Gail’s bakery and coffee shop chain, which launched The Wheat Project in April 2025. This is an initiative championing bread made using wheat produced from regenerative farming techniques. The first product was Bruern Farms Sourdough, which is to be sold across 54 of its outlets in England’s south-west region. In future, the initiative is likely to be extended to other bakery goods such as shortbread and crispbread.
A similar concept has been developed in Europe by Mondelez International for its biscuits. The company has developed a sustainable wheat production programme named Harmony, which it operates with farmers, co-operatives and millers in seven European countries and promotes biodiversity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and cares for the soil. Mondelez has a goal of growing 100% of all wheat volumes needed for production of biscuits such as LU in Europe via the Harmony scheme by 2030. It appears well on track to meet this goal, with the percentage increasing from 76% in 2020 to 99% by 2023. During this time, the Harmony scheme expanded from 49,800 hectares to 57,000 hectares. Mondelez operates a similar wheat-based initiative in North America for the manufacture of its Triscuit brand of biscuits.