Our food has both direct and indirect impacts on the environment when it is produced and transported. The environment is affected by retail operations and by waste generated in the consumer chain. A great deal is happening in the environmental area in the food industry. Production, packaging and transportation all have significant environmental impacts.
Energy from Restaurant Waste
What do sewage sludge, household leftovers and restaurant waste have in common? The answer is that these different types of waste contain high amounts of biological material. That makes them highly attractive as an alternative energy source. Digesting…
Plowing Less Cuts Fertilizer Use
Increased yields, reduced nitrogen leaching and sharp cuts in diesel consumption: those are some of the benefits of cutting plowing out of the traditional agricultural cycle. Instead, let the grower’s best friend, the lowly earthworm, do the job beneath…
Organic Food Comes Knocking
In the spring of 2009, Anette Dieng of the Swedish company Ekolådan was nominated as one of four finalists for the “Excellence in Environmental Leadership” award presented annually by the Swedish Association of Environmental Managers. Although the…
- Compostable Grocery Bags
Plastic shopping bags have been banned in San Francisco and other cities around the world. Some municipalities are slapping on taxes and… - Vertical Greenhouse for Urban Agriculture
Plantagon wants to bring food production to a roof near you. The Swedish start-up aims to commercialize a vertical greenhouse designed to… - Renewable Barrier Material for Food Containers
Many packaged foods, such as dairy products, bakery goods, coffee, snacks and juice, need to be protected from contact with air to maintain… - The light that plants love
Chlorophyll gives plants their green colour, while at the same time playing the central role in life-giving photosynthesis. The chlorophyll… - Solar-powered water purification
More than a billion people currently lack access to clean drinking water. One result of this is the deaths of many children from preventable… - Fantastic Food, Fine Wine. But What about the Water?
Sometimes a great idea is in fact not one inspiration, but rather the unexpected combination of two ideas leading to a novel solution. That… - Organic products and environmental labelling
Originally, all food grown for human consumption was organic. Over time, much of the ”organic” element has disappeared and been replaced…
