Um componente vital, mas negligenciado, de sistemas alimentares eficientes
Os sistemas alimentares foram identificados como essenciais na mitigação e adaptação às mudanças climáticas, mas muitas vezes o foco é nas soluções e no consumo no nível do agricultor. O “meio oculto”, etapas como processamento, armazenamento, transporte e distribuição, geralmente são negligenciadas. No entanto, trata-se de um fator vital, embora pouco reconhecido, da transformação dos sistemas alimentares globais, gerando até 40% de seu valor econômico e 22% de suas emissões de gases do efeito estufa.
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How to strengthen the critical middle of food systems
Strengthening essential infrastructure in the critical middle of food systems should complement existing financing and policy efforts across food value chains, including initiatives that focus on farmers and consumers.
Tetra Pak has five policy asks and recommendations for policymakers and financial institutions seeking to scale and strengthen the critical middle of food systems:
- Establish dedicated financing pathways for SME investment into critical middle infrastructure, especially in developing and developed economies
- Integrate food security into climate transition-related decision-making
- Recognise food processing technologies, packaging and distribution as essential food system infrastructure
- Make the critical middle of food systems visible, measurable and investable
- Strengthen public-private partnerships in this area to scale up implementation
Shaping resilience through dialogue at COP31
The critical middle of food systems, which includes the intermediate steps spanning processing, packaging, logistics and distribution, presents a powerful opportunity to reduce food loss and drive resource efficiency to support climate-smart development.
At COP31, we are fostering conversations on how to turn that opportunity into action. Join us for a discussion on how collaboration across the value chain can accelerate implementation.
O professor Thomas Reardon explica como o “meio oculto” é a chave para a segurança alimentar global.
Thomas Reardon é professor benemérito da Michigan State University e pesquisador sênior não residente do International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Seu trabalho se concentra na rápida transformação das cadeias de valor agrícola na África, Ásia e América Latina. Ele cunhou o termo “meio oculto” em 2015, e a “revolução do supermercado” em 2003.
1Based on a baseline OPEX cost of ca. €2,870,000. Savings from ease-of-use and automation: Five instead of eight (baseline) FTEs = annual OPEX savings of ca. €219,000. Magnetic agitator expected to reduce contamination probability from the 5% of conventional solutions to 1% = annual OPEX savings of ca. €121,000. Total OPEX savings: €340,000 / €2,870,000 = 12%.