Global challenges

Two men with vegetables by the car

Food systems are unbalanced

Today, 690 million people go to bed hungry.2 Many countries face a double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with obesity and non-communicable diseases.3

Vegetable waste

Food systems are wasteful

One-third of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally every year.4 Food loss predominantly occurs during production or because food never gets packaged, whereas food waste often is driven by unsustainable consumption practices.

Stacks of hay

Food systems are unsustainable

Food systems account for over one-third of greenhouse gas emissions.5 The emissions produced by the processes involved in producing and delivering food are increasing rapidly.

Why global food systems need to transform


Working towards a world with secure and sustainable food systems 

On a global scale, food systems are facing multiple challenges. The way food is produced, processed, packaged, distributed and consumed hinders food security and harms the planet. Climate-related challenges such as scarcity, soil erosion and drought are leading to reduced food production, and supply chains are experiencing disruptions caused by COVID-19. 

At the same time, many countries are experiencing the double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with being overweight, obesity and other diet-related diseases. Add to this the projected population growth, where it is expected we will reach 9.7 billion6 people by 2050, and the demand for safe, nutritious food escalates.

Food loss and waste remains a challenge 

Despite the challenges with food accessibility, one-third of the food produced is lost or wasted4. Food loss mainly occurs during production or because food is discarded and never gets packaged, whereas food waste can be driven by short shelf life experienced by retailers and unsustainable consumption practices of consumers. 

Food value chains are unsustainable 

Food loss and waste are particularly harmful considering that food systems account for over one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions produced by the processes involved in food systems are increasing rapidly, especially in some developing countries5

As food travels through the supply chain towards its destination, it can also be deterred by the lack of infrastructure in many countries. The lack of ability to get food safely and securely from farms to people’s homes is a driver of hunger in some developing countries. Accessible food processing and packaging solutions can play a role in ensuring that safe and nutritious food is made available in remote areas. 

Future food systems need to become more secure and sustainable 

To address global food challenges, we need to look at entire food systems and work towards making them more secure and more sustainable: The UN says that food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food; and sustainable food systems mean growing, producing, processing, packaging, distributing and consuming food without exhausting the earth’s resources or negatively impacting the planet7.

At Tetra Pak, we want to play our part in moving the world’s food systems forward. With the right expertise, technology and partnerships, we believe we can make a real difference. That is why we continue to commit to making food safe and available everywhere. And we promise to do that in a way that protects what’s good: protecting food, people and the planet.

OUR JOURNEY

Moving food forward.

Get a quick overview of today’s global food challenges and how we at Tetra Pak will play our part in moving food forward – for a world with more secure and sustainable food systems.

Our journey

Girl in school

Increasing access to safe, nutritious food

Combining our global network with food packaging, processing, and technical expertise, we are committed to making food safe and available.

Green and red peppers

Reducing food loss and waste

Together with our customers, we develop high-performance food processing solutions to minimise food loss and create food packaging solutions that help increase shelf life and reduce food waste.8

Women in a rice field

Building sustainable food value chains

Together with our suppliers and partners, we support, develop and supply solutions that encourage sustainable production, processing, packaging, distribution, and consumption.

How we contribute

Explore further

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Collaboration

On our journey towards addressing global challenges related to food security and nutrition, it is essential to collaborate between stakeholders. Learn more how we collaborate throughout our journey.

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1The term ‘food systems’ refers to all the elements and activities related to producing and consuming food, and their effects, including economic, health, and environmental outcomes (OECD, https://www.oecd.org/food-systems, 2023).

2https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

3http://www.fao.org/3/ca9692en/ca9692en.pdf

4https://www.saveonethird.org

5http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1379373/icode/

6https://www.statista.com/statistics/262875/development-of-the-world-population/

7https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/c6fd4d2f-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/c6fd4d2f-en

8By positive impact we mean driving better outcome for our own workforce, workers and communities in our supply chain, workers in collection and recycling and people in our value chain affected by climate change and the transition to net-zero in the areas of labour, discrimination, hazardous working conditions and sustainable income, among others