Sustainability and consumer products: Key trends for 2025

Sustainability: A critical issue 

"Sustainability issues are crucial for the agri-food sector," says Apolline Herbinet. Why? "Firstly, because this cutting-edge sector draws on limited resources to feed the world. Secondly, the issue of animal welfare is becoming increasingly pressing. 

The potential environmental impact throughout the value chain, for example in packaging or transport, is another point of concern. Not to mention that agri-food players support millions of workers, requiring fair compensation and equitable conditions." The planet, people, and the economy are the three pillars of sustainability that shape the 2025 agenda for the agri-food industry. 

Fighting deforestation: EUDR in the spotlight 

Legislators are addressing these sustainability issues. The European regulation against deforestation (EUDR), a component of the Green Deal, aims to ensure that products available on the European market are not sourced from deforestation 

"Initially planned for 2025, this regulation will be applied from 2026 to give companies ample time to prepare. It will cover many products, including cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, and beef," notes Apolline Herbinet. "Companies will need to ensure that imported, marketed, or produced goods comply with this obligation. This means collecting and recording data, as well as conducting necessary checks to assess and mitigate risks throughout the supply chain." 

Managing these operations will be complex. To reduce this complexity, an automated approach integrated into companies' systems is ideal. 

Maximum transparency with the CSRD 

With the 'Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive' (CSRD), Europe is establishing reporting obligations to enhance transparency. The directive's application is gradual, based on turnover, and began in 2024 for the largest companies. "By 2028, 60,000 companies will need to report their sustainable actions," using relevant KPIs according to their context. This directive outlines 1,193 types of data that may be analyzed, highlighting the scale of the task. 

For the agri-food sector, this includes crucial issues such as packaging, with the obligation to communicate actions to prevent waste generation, as well as animal welfare, water resource use, and the impact of activities on biodiversity. Reports must be comprehensive, covering the entire value chain, including suppliers and external partners. If a company lacks the required information, it must specify the actions planned to obtain it. 

Introducing the digital product passport  

European regulations on the ecodesign of sustainable products have led to the creation of the digital product passport, which enhances transparency. This passport will inform consumers about a product's sustainability and circularity performance, for example, through a QR code linking to a platform hosting this information. 

"It will take into account various criteria: plastic used, packaging, animal welfare, impact on resources, social performance... It should initially apply to products such as smartphones, computers, or batteries," explains Apolline Herbinet. 

And at the local level, legislation is also evolving. "National measures such as plastic taxes introduced in the UK and Spain foreshadow the emergence of similar legislation in other countries." 

Turning challenges into opportunities

While regulations bring constraints, they also offer opportunities to create value and innovate. Concrete projects are already emerging. "See these dairy collection centers where even the smallest producers can sell their milk, thus boosting the local economy," illustrates Apolline Herbinet. 

"Or consider this mobile grocery store from a large French group that serves isolated rural areas, far from large supermarkets, helping to rebuild social connections." 

"Local initiatives, such as dairy collection centers, boost the economy and strengthen the social fabric." 

Recycling revolution: Working together 

Apolline Herbinet highlights the coalition of agri-food companies around recycling and waste collection. "Competitors are joining forces to set up the recycling channels they need for their activities in some countries where they do not yet exist. This reduces ecological impact and stimulates innovation. In the same collaborative logic, competing companies are demanding with one voice that their suppliers meet the same environmental standards for their crops." 

Another positive trend we see is this company operating in a coastal region of a developing country that compensates locals for collecting plastic waste. This waste is then reused in production, providing a triple benefit: economic, ecological, and social." 

Data collection: A tough challenge

What is the priority amidst these new trends and regulations? "Data collection!" asserts Apolline Herbinet. "Not only because the volumes are enormous, but also because value chains are particularly extensive and often involve multiple suppliers. Having qualitative, verifiable, and quantifiable data is essential, even if it is time-consuming." 

This allows for high value-added actions, not only for the company but also for its employees and stakeholders. "We must act out of conviction, not to just stand out from others. This requires appropriate skills and resources, but also taking advantage of the right tools to collect, transform, and analyze data." 

AI: An accelerator

"In terms of solutions, artificial intelligence is proving to be a major asset. For instance, at delaware, we use an innovative tool that automatically detects departure and arrival cities to instantly calculate the CO2 balance of our business trips, providing highly detailed and qualitative data." 

Previously, these manual calculations were extremely time-consuming. This tool is a real game-changer, as the time saved now allows us to concentrate more on strategy and our action plan," concludes Apolline Herbinet.