Kennedy’s Bakery Production Editor, Kiran Grewal, sits down with Francesca Angiulli, Sustainability Director at Puratos to discuss the latest developments in regenerative agriculture.
How does Puratos define regenerative agriculture, and what role does it play in the company’s broader sustainability strategy within the bakery industry?
Essentially, regenerative agriculture is used to restore ecosystems and preserve soil fertility to help ensure an abundant food supply for future generations. It’s an impact-based framework based on a set of farming practices to increase the organic matter in soil and reduce our dependency on mechanical and chemical inputs, such as deep tillage, fertilisers, and pesticides. We follow this approach as it aligns with our wider sustainability values, including our commitment to decarbonise the food supply chain.
Along with our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in our operations, we’re developing science-based emission reduction targets for our entire value chain. This will mean close collaboration across our entire value chain, including farmers, suppliers and customers. With our commitment to the SBTi (Science Based Target Initiative) framework, we’re setting ambitious climate goals, grounded in scientific evidence, to limit global warming to 1.5°C and mitigate the impact of climate change.
Can you explain the key principles of regenerative agriculture and how they differ from conventional farming practices, particularly concerning soil health and carbon sequestration?
The key principles of regenerative agriculture include increasing cover crops, crop rotation and biodiversity, as well as reducing tillage, fertilisers and pesticides. These practices differ from conventional farming methods in that they aim to increase the organic matter in the soil and reduce dependency on mechanical and chemical inputs, thereby promoting soil health and carbon sequestration.
What motivated Puratos to prioritise regenerative agriculture in sourcing ingredients for bakery products, and how does this commitment align with consumer demand for sustainable food options?
Sourcing ingredients that use regenerative agricultural practices is a viable and attractive solution for us – for several reasons. Firstly, it’s our environmental responsibility as part of the food industry, which accounts for around 25% of global CO2 emissions. Take bread, for example – 75% of its carbon emissions come from raw materials and production processes. As climate change becomes a reality, we must join forces across the industry to decarbonise the bakery, patisserie and chocolate value chains.
Secondly, consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their food choices and are turning to products that match their values and beliefs. Our ‘always-on’ Taste Tomorrow consumer insights show that 64% of shoppers globally look for sustainably produced products. In Europe, our data shows they are willing to pay more for freshness, naturalness, health and craftsmanship, as well as products made from local ingredients where farmers receive a fair price. As a result, bakers are driving demand for these types of products, too.
Finally, regenerative agriculture becomes even more important as the fertile topsoil layer thins, making it much more difficult to grow crops. We believe in working together with the value chain to preserve the soil and ecosystem, while ensuring a fair revenue from farm to fork. By changing the way we source ingredients, we’re helping to create innovative food solutions for the health and well-being of people everywhere.
Could you discuss Puratos’s partnerships with farming cooperatives to promote regenerative agriculture practices, and how does these partnerships contribute to the company’s supply chain transparency and traceability goals?
We’ve got pilot projects in place with farming cooperatives, including ‘Cultivae’ and ‘Farm For Good’ in Belgium, to support pioneering farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture. We also have partnerships across Australia, the UK and Italy, which enable us to measure the environmental benefits of regenerative agriculture and its impact on crops, our solutions and, ultimately, our customers’ products. It’s a win-win for eco-conscious bakers – artisans or industrials – trying to meet their own sustainability targets.
How does Puratos ensure fair compensation and support for farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture methods, and what impact does this support have on local agriculture communities?
We’re committed to driving sustainable progress in the bakery industry and supporting the people we work with, including farmers. For example, we ensure fair compensation and support for farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture methods, by agreeing an expected purchase volume and cost for cereals upfront – before the crops have even been sowed. This is rare in the industry, but it means farmers can focus on the agronomical part, so they can invest more in regenerative agriculture in the future, too. We also liaise directly with the cooperative to ensure a fair price for both parties.
What are some of the challenges or barriers that Puratos has encountered in implementing regenerative agriculture practices within its supply chain, and how is the company addressing these challenges?
Building a new supply chain can be challenging, so finding the right partners is key: we look for farmers, cooperatives and partners for milling and storage that are planet-conscious and motivated. This helps to ensure the quality and consistency of ingredients from farm to fork, while limiting the extra supply chain costs for our customers.
Communication can also be confusing as there is no clear definition for regenerative agriculture. Neither is there any official framework for product communication when it comes to sustainability. We are working on translating the impact on the field into clearer messaging guidelines for our customers that can be applied to their consumer communications – either on the shelves or online.
Change always takes time, especially in big organisations, but with the effects of climate change growing, the food industry needs to adopt progressive agricultural practices, even if we are still waiting for answers to some of the questions. We must collaborate, learn and grow, to ensure the quickest response to the issues society is facing today.
Can you share insights into Puratos’ research initiatives regarding the impact of regenerative agriculture on crop quality, soil health, and biodiversity, and how these findings are shaping the future of bakery ingredient sourcing?
As part of our research projects and collaboration with farmers, we see that products produced from raw materials using regenerative agricultural practices have a lower environmental impact and reduced emissions – highlighting how the impact goes well beyond soil health.
In what ways does Puratos educate and engage its customers about the benefits of regenerative agriculture in bakery products, and how does consumer awareness drive the company’s sustainability efforts?
Most importantly, we are staying close to the farmers and cooperatives we’re working with, supporting them with further research and data to not only be able to provide insights to our customers, but also to promote and share our findings and best practices within the food industry.
As consumers become more informed and mindful about the impact of the food they buy, they increasingly look for products that are more sustainable. We are taking steps to decarbonise the overall value chain, starting with our commitments to become carbon-neutral in our own operations by 2025 and to set science-based emissions reduction targets via the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). These consumer demands also drive us to expand our ranges of solutions that incorporate regenerative agriculture practices. Earlier this year, we launched Sapore Lavida, which is our first 100% traceable active sourdough produced in Belgium. Made with 100% whole wheat flour sourced from regenerative agriculture, our plan is to extend the range further to include a rye sourdough with the crop of 2024.
How does Puratos collaborate with other industry stakeholders, such as bakeries and food manufacturers, to promote adoption of regenerative agriculture practices throughout the bakery supply chain?
As an industry, we need to take the time to understand farmers’ needs to be able to transition more seamlessly to sustainable agriculture. For example, we use industry events and associations to share the results of our farmer collaborations with our customers and peers, as well as keeping up to date with consumer awareness around the subject.
It’s also important to make better use of the innovative technologies and scientific knowledge we already have available in the bakery segment. This could be key to rebuilding supply chains with a lower environmental impact. Positive change must be a group effort, however, to be successful, which is why we’re always looking to work with customers who want to put sustainability first, too.
Looking ahead, what are Puratos’ long-term goals and aspirations for regenerative agriculture in the bakery industry, and how does the company plan to lead by example in promoting sustainable farming practices?
We’re committed to promoting regenerative agriculture across the industry. Our goal is to prove the value of regenerative practices for the environment, soil health and the well-being of our customers, consumers and the planet – to contribute to industry progress. To achieve this, we aim to grow volumes of raw materials we source from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture in Belgium, along with other countries where we have existing partnerships. We also plan to expand our collaborations to two more regions – APMEA and NAM – by 2025.
What’s more, we’ve partnered with the Raffinerie Tirlemontoise and BENEO, leading players in the Belgian sugar beet and chicory root industry, in their ambitious Climate Farming Project. This initiative encompasses over 15 pilot farms, agronomists and research centers, focusing on beet sugar and gluten. The project will result in the local production of beet sugar, chicory root fiber and gluten, among others, all cultivated according to different regenerative farming practices. It’s certainly an exciting time to be involved in regenerative agriculture!
Editorial contact:
Editor: Kiran Grewal kgrewal@kennedys.co.uk
