Socioeconomic and Environmental Prospects of the Food Industry

Abstract

Food production systems and consumption patterns are significant contributors to the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the industry, which swap with changing population demographics. The life cycle assessment approach has been increasingly utilized to evaluate the agricultural and food processing systems to ensure reliable and evidence-based support for decision-making for both industry stakeholders and policymakers. This study discusses the key social, economic, and environmental impacts of various food processing sectors, especially greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land, water, and energy use. Impacts vary widely depending on the types of foods, their sources, and supply chains. The animal (excluding poultry) slaughtering, rendering, and processing category has the highest contributions in both socioeconomic and environmental impacts out of all food and beverage processing industries. The food industry touches transdisciplinary policy domains and is recognized as dynamic and complex. It is thus important to adopt an integrated approach involving stakeholders from all policy domains associated with food supply chains to ensure the sustainability of the food industry.  A broader sustainability check must be adopted for any strategic change in the food industry to reduce the risks to its sustainability and avoid rebound effects on society.