Environmental

Sustainability For
Food Industry
Judith J. Cauilan
Bukidnon State University
 Course Description
This course covers the sustainability and environmental
issues in the food industry. It is an introduction of an
integrated strategy for the prevention, treatment and
disposal of food processing wastes.

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 Course Objectives
1. Create awareness about environmental degradation caused
by human activities, excessive exploitation of nature, and
lack of accountability towards nature
2. To educate towards protection and enhancement of the
environment and improvement of the quality of life of
human communities through the participation of food
science
3. To provide students an opportunity to be actively involved at
all levels, within their capacity, in environmental decision
making

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 Course Outcomes
At the end of the course, the students are expected to:

1. Define sustainability and identify major sustainability

challenges in the food industry
2. Discuss the carrying capacity of ecosystems as related to
providing for human needs.
3. Examine the compliance of food industries to existing
environmental standards and legislation
4. Propose solutions that mitigate adverse impact of food
wastes to the environment of a selected MSME

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 Environmental Sustainability
It is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our
planet’s natural environment and conserve natural
resources to support the well-being of current and future
generations.

• Sustainability is about meeting the needs of present generations

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.

(Microsoft, 2023. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability/learn/environmental-sustainability)

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 Sustainability
• There are three main pillars of sustainability that many
organizations strive to achieve

The three pillars of sustainability

1. Social sustainability
2. Economic sustainability
3. Environmental sustainability

(Microsoft, 2023. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability/learn/environmental-sustainability)

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 Lesson 1: Environmental Pollution & Global Threat
• One of the most alarming problems which the world faces
today is the environmental pollution
• Environmental pollution impacts climate change
• Climate change affects countries, people and organisms in
our world
• Global warming is likely to be the greatest cause of species
extinctions this century.

Source : WWF, 2022

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 Lesson 1: Environmental Pollution & Global Threat
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says
that a 1.5°C average rise may put 20-30% of species at risk of
extinction.
• If the planet warms by more than 2°C, most ecosystems will
struggle.
Video clip:
The Effects of Climate Change :

https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/
effects-of/climate-change

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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem

Source: Biologyonline, 2022. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/carrying-capacity

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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem
• The ever-growing population threatens ecological balance and
biodiversity
• Human-mediated causes of ecological deterioration include:
a. Land-use change
b. Pollution
c. Introduced species
d. Resource exploitation

Sources:
1. Biologyonline, 2022. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/carrying-capacity
2. Khan Academy, 2022. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/disruptions-to-ecosystems/a/hs-
human-impact-on-ecosystems-review
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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem

• Our ecosystem has a limit in sustaining species’ population

• Carrying capacity is defined as a species’ average population
size in a particular habitat
• The species population size is limited by environmental
factors like adequate food, shelter, water, and mates
• If these needs are not met, the population will decrease until
the resource rebounds

Sources:
1. National Geographic, 2022. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-carrying-capacity
2. Khan Academy, 2022. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/disruptions-to-ecosystems/a/hs-
human-impact-on-ecosystems-review

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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem
• In ecology, carrying capacity is measured as the maximum
load of an environment
• The population limit can be expected to depend on the
physical features present in the environment. These are
called the limiting factors (e.g. food, water, competition, etc.)
• Populations may grow exponentially for some period, but
they ultimately reach a carrying capacity when they become
limited by resource availability

Sources:
1. Biologyonline, 2022. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/carrying-capacity
2. Khan Academy, 2022. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/disruptions-to-ecosystems/a/hs-
human-impact-on-ecosystems-review

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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem
Human-mediated causes of ecological deterioration:
• Pollution: Human activities produce runoff or disposal of harmful
substances and wastes, or from energy sources (e.g. noise and
light pollution).
• Resource exploitation: Extensive overuse of nonrenewable
resources, like fossil fuels, can cause great harm to the
environment. Humans consume large amounts of resources for
their own needs (e.g. mining of natural resources like coal, the
hunting and fishing of animals for food, and the clearing of forests
for urbanization and wood use)

Sources:
1. Khan Academy, 2022. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/disruptions-to-ecosystems/a/hs-
human-impact-on-ecosystems-review

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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem
Human-mediated causes of ecological deterioration:
• Introduced species: Humans may unintentionally, or intentionally,
introduce a non-native species into an ecosystem. This can
negatively affect an ecosystem because the introduced species
may outcompete native organisms and displace them.
• Land-use change: Humans mine resources and urbanize areas to
sustain population needs. In the process, they destroy natural
landscapes , thus displacing residing species, reducing available
habitats and food sources.

Sources:
1. Khan Academy, 2022. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/disruptions-to-ecosystems/a/hs-
human-impact-on-ecosystems-review

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 Lesson 2: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystem
• Food availability is an important variable in carrying capacity
of an environment or habitat
• If food demand is not met over a given period of time the
population size will eventually decrease until the resources
become adequate
• Humans, however, have continued to work around carrying
capacity as they develop new technologies to help support
the ever-growing population, but this, too has a limit.

Sources:
1. Biologyonline, 2022. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/carrying-capacity
2. Khan Academy, 2022. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/disruptions-to-ecosystems/a/hs-
human-impact-on-ecosystems-review
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 16 Lesson 3: Food Loss & Food Waste

– Food Loss - the decrease in quantity or quality of food, caused mainly by food
production and supply system functioning or its institutional and legal
framework
ex. Harvested bananas that fall off a truck, are considered food loss
– Food Waste - the removal of food fit for consumption from the supply chain by
choice or food that has been left to spoil or expire as a result of negligence by
the final consumer at the household level
ex. Mangoes with a few brown spots thrown away by a retailer
A plate of rice thrown away
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Sources: Bucatariu, 2014; FAO, 2014

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Why does food loss and waste matter?

• Food loss and waste costs global economy $940 billion

each year
• 8% global annual greenhouse gas emissions are due to
food loss and waste
• 1/3 of all food is lost or wasted each year

Source: WRI, 2016

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Nearly one-third (1/3) of
worldwide food production for
human consumption is
lost or wasted

Source: FAO, 2011

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Sources: Cavanzo, 2016; FAO, 2016

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 21 Lesson 3: Food Loss & Food Waste

– Food Loss - may be due to problems in harvesting, storage, packing,

transport, infrastructure or market / price mechanisms, as well as
institutional and legal frameworks.
– Food Waste - may be because of rigid or misunderstood date
marking rules, improper storage, buying or cooking practices

Sources: Cavanzo, 2016; FAO, 2016

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Lesson 4: The Environmental Impact of Wasted Food

Video clip: https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/stem-in-

context/environmental-impact-wasted-food

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 Lesson 4: The Environmental Impact of Wasted Food

• Food loss and waste contribute to climate change

Source: https://www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/food-waste

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 Lesson 4: The Environmental Impact of Wasted Food

• Our food habits contribute to global warming

• Unsustainable production model
• Producing too much, wasting too much
• Whereas, 10.5% is suffering from malnutrition
• 26% are obese
• 25 to 30% of the total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG)
come from the food industry that have led to today's climate
crisis.

Source: IPCC, 2021

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 Assignment
Based on the lecture, materials given, and the video presentations,
answer the following
1. What is the impact of food loss and waste on the global climate crisis
2. What is unsustainable production model? Cite at least 2 examples
from your observation in food industries
3. Cite at least three examples of food that have high carbon footprints
and three examples of food that have low carbon footprints

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