ISBT BevTech: All About Sustainability and Cost Savings
The attendees at the ISBT BevTech held recently in Orlando, FL could not escape conversations about sustainability and cost savings. From raw materials handling to processing, these topics were front and center at every committee gathering:
Some examples:
Flexi-Tank improvements so a standard box truck can be used to ship liquid sweeteners.
An ingredient to reduce CO2 and improve quality.
A natural color supplier reporting that 80% of their customers ask about ESG parameters and so they must adapt and respond.
In the past, the skeptics doubted that sustainability initiatives and cost savings can be mutually compatible in the food industry.
But that time has come and gone as evidence shows that many sustainability initiatives are designed to help reduce costs and increase efficiency in the long term.
For example, some sustainability initiatives in the cane sugar sector focus on reducing water usage or improving energy efficiency, which can lead to significant cost savings. Other initiatives may focus on reducing waste or improving supply chain management, which can also lead to cost savings. Sugaright has made such initiatives part of our core business.
Furthermore, implementing sustainability initiatives can also enhance a company's reputation and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, which can increase demand for their products and ultimately result in higher profits.
Studies have shown that some consumers are increasingly interested in sustainability and environmental issues, and (some, but not all) are willing to pay a premium for products that are produced in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.
From these conversations, it is clear that we are moving past the idea that sustainable and inexpensive are mutually exclusive.
How is this perceived gap between cost-savings and demand for sustainable products being bridged so sustainable products can be offered to consumers at every price point?
A hint? Look at the topics listed above.
First, at their core is innovation, solving old problems with new ideas.
Secondly, implementation of these ideas requires a change in business relationships, no longer suppliers and buyers, but partners in adaptation.
Why is this so critical? Well eventually, unsustainable is simply unsustainable.
It’s a journey. And we are grateful for innovative thinkers, doers and decision-makers who embrace change for the generations to come.
And we applaud the ISBT for providing the format for collaboration and partnership at this most recent BevTech conference.
Sugaright. Changing the Way You Think About Sugar.
