We’ve heard a raft of net zero pledges from large food and beverage corporates in recent years. Some of the world’s largest food makers – from Nestlé, to Danone, Unilever, PepsiCo and Coca Cola – have thrown their weight behind the drive to tackle emissions and limit global heating to 1.5 degrees. Big bucks have been committed to innovation aimed at delivering a more sustainable, less wasteful and resource intensive system of food production, distribution and consumption.

Certainly, a lot is resting on the action of these large global players. Recent research has suggested failure to address food system emissions could preclude achieving the targets established by the Paris Climate Change Agreement​. Scientists estimate that food and ag production taken together are responsible for 37% of the GHG emissions we produce worldwide​. The need for change is clear.

But while these mega-corporations are influential in how the food system operates, they cannot drive a sustainable food system transformation alone. 

In Europe almost 50% of food industry revenue is generated by small and medium sized businesses, figures from FoodDrinkEurope reveal. They employ 62.1% of the people who work in food and account for more than 99% of the food and beverage businesses in operation.

Taken collectively SMEs are big business and they too need to move towards a net zero footing. However, these players often face particular challenges that may inhibit their ability to reduce the carbon footprint of their businesses.