Packaging specialist Tetra Pak has teamed up with several companies and partners to support research programmes to promote global food systems. From over 300 screenings, 10 pilot projects were identified.
Six years ago, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) set itself the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition worldwide by 2030. But even in 2020, more than 2 billion people did not have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
„Today's global food systems are not sustainable,“ explains Elena Moruzzi, Vice President Automation & Digital Development at Tetra Pak. „We urgently need innovations to improve the availability, safety and sustainability of food. We need to look beyond our own industry and come together with other bright minds to find solutions and improve the global food systems of the future.“
Tetra Pak is working with companies in the USA, France, Sweden and Italy, among others, to overcome these challenges and jointly research solutions. This research includes a number of development programmes - from the use of enzymes to reduce food waste to research into new plant-based foods and the use of insect proteins.
Rodrigo Godoy, Vice President Portfolio Management at Tetra Pak: „To drive innovation, we need to challenge the status quo and constantly developing new ideas, concepts and production methods, some of which lie outside our ‚core competences‘. For example, we have carried out over 300 screenings, which have resulted in more than 10 pilot projects that are now being researched. We know how valuable it is to work together with experts and therefore particularly encourage start-ups to approach us with their ideas and join our cross-industry teams."
The programmes and initiatives announced include the French platforms Paris&Co, Smart Food Paris and Urban Lab, the technology start-ups EnginZyme, NuCaps and Tebrito, and Research universities in Italy and Sweden, including the universities of Lund and Modena, as well as Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE).
Source: Tetra Pak
