Sustainability Drives Food Trends in Bakery and Snack Sector

As consumers increasingly prioritize environmental sustainability and social responsibility, food trends in the bakery and snack sector are shifting from a focus on flavor, convenience, and price to incorporate concerns about climate change, supply chain resilience, and cleaner ingredients. manufacturers are diversifying their ingredient base to include regenerative farming and heritage grains, while cocoa sustainability programs like Mondelez's Cocoa Life are tackling deforestation, child labor, and long-term supply risks.

Key Takeaways:

• Climate change and conflicts like the war in Ukraine have exposed the fragility of wheat and other staple supply chains, leading to commodity shortages, price volatility, and reputational risks.
• Manufacturers are recognizing the need to diversify their ingredient base and work closely with suppliers to build resilience against future shocks, with regenerative farming and heritage grains emerging as key strategies.
• Cocoa sustainability programs like Cocoa Life are critical to tackling deforestation, child labor, and long-term supply risks, with leading brands pledging to source 100% sustainable cocoa.
• Brands are investing in regenerative supply chains and embracing sustainable and innovative crops, with General Mills aiming to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030.
• Heritage grains like quinoa and amaranth are increasingly incorporated into functional foods, offering a resilient and adaptable alternative to mainstream grains.
• The cocoa sector faces unique sustainability challenges linked to deforestation and child labor, in addition to climate change, and leading brands are making bold commitments to source 100% sustainable cocoa.

Statistics:

• Global yields of wheat are around 10% lower now than they would have been without the influence of climate change (Source: IPCC).
• General Mills aims to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030 (Source: General Mills ESG report).
• Mondelez's Cocoa Life had supported 208,000 farmers across eight countries, with 91% of cocoa volume sourced through the program in 2023 (Source: Mondelez).
• Mondelez aims to source 100% sustainable cocoa through Cocoa Life by the end of 2024 (Source: Mondelez).

Sources:

• IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
• General Mills ESG report
• Mondelez
• Gail's, a 170-outlet UK bakery chain
• Mary Jane Melendez, General Mills chief sustainability and global impact officer