Suppliers & Sustainability: How do we reduce our footprint through our supply chain?

Consumers are increasingly aware of their environmental impact, and restaurant meals are no exception. Zero waste/sustainability was a top 10 restaurant trend for several of the past few years, reports the National Restaurant Association. 

In some cases, sustainably sourced ingredients can help justify a higher price tag. Eighty-eight percent of Americans were willing to pay more for sustainable and responsibly sourced seafood, according to a June 2017 Cargill Feed4Thought consumer survey. 

Generation Z is especially concerned with sustainability in their shopping habits. Seventy percent of Generation Z consumers surveyed by First Insight in December 2019 were willing to pay for more sustainable products. In contrast, 68 percent of Millennials, 55 percent of Generation X, and 42 percent of Baby Boomers said the same.   

But for consumers who want sustainable products, what does that mean? There are many definitions and standards for sustainability, so it’s not an easy, one-size-fits-all answer. 

Here’s a look at several facets of restaurant sustainability:

• Locally sourced ingredients

Incorporating local, in-season food when possible can reduce your restaurant’s carbon footprint compared to shipping ingredients from halfway across the country or worldwide. However, local food is not always sustainable, depending on how it’s produced. Food movement is one aspect of sustainability, but other factors like water use, treatment of workers, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation can also impact the environment. 

That said, if you source items from a local farm, dairy, or another food producer, it’s worth mentioning it on your menu. This shows a commitment and a connection to the local community, which many consumers appreciate.

• Sustainable ingredients

Sustainability practices vary depending on the type of food.

Sustainable seafood. National Restaurant Association says sustainable seafood is harvested in a way that can be continued year after year without damaging the future of the fish or shellfish populations or the ecosystems around them. It should not harm the environment, people, or animals.

Aquaculture—where fish and shellfish are raised in a controlled setting—used to be considered less sustainable than wild-caught seafood, but that’s changing. Feed conversation ratio, or the amount of feed needed to grow a pound of seafood, is one of the metrics used to measure the sustainability of aquaculture.

Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council are just two of the organizations that offer certifications for seafood.

Sustainable meat. According to livestock feed company C-Lock, beef cattle require an average of about 6 pounds of food to gain one pound of weight. Sustainable cattle ranching practices minimize deforestation, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring that cattle are treated humanely.

Some people consider grass-fed beef to be more sustainable and humane than feedlot beef, but that’s not necessarily true across the board. Much of the grass-fed beef sold in the U.S. is produced elsewhere, so shipping the meat over significant distances creates a meaningful environmental impact.

To address some of these concerns, a growing number of plant-based proteins offer a sustainable alternative to animal-sourced proteins. According to Sustainability at UCLA, plant-based generally require less water and produce fewer carbon emissions than their animal counterpart.

Sustainable dairy. Dairy Sustainability Framework uses eleven sustainability criteria, including soil quality, animal care, rural economies, and greenhouse gas emissions. Non-dairy alternatives are increasingly popular, but some of these consume significant amounts of water, so they may not be more sustainable than dairy milk.

Sustainable agriculture. Produce doesn’t have some of the sustainability considerations of seafood and cattle ranching. But farmers still need to think about maintaining soil quality, reducing water consumption, avoiding chemicals, and treating workers fairly. There are several certifications available for sustainable agriculture, including through the Rainforest Alliance and USDA Organic. 

• Sustainable packaging

Food packaging can be a huge source of waste. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2018, containers and packaging made up 28 percent of municipal solid waste. Reusable containers are preferable, but that’s typically not feasible for takeout. If you must use single-use items, consider ordering from suppliers that offer biodegradable or compostable items free from toxic or hazardous chemicals. 

• Low-waste/no-waste kitchen

Some restaurants strive to eliminate waste through composting or by using every part of each ingredient, whether nose to tail or root to fruit. Several organizations, such as the Zero Waste International Alliance and TRUE provide certifications to restaurants that drastically reduce waste. It may require a menu overhaul—no-waste restaurants tend to focus their menus around produce, de-emphasizing meat and dairy—but these changes can reap financial benefits, too. A review of over a hundred restaurants in 12 countries found that the average restaurant saved $7 for every $1 invested in reducing kitchen food waste.

Here’s a look at sustainability questions to ask your suppliers:

• How far do goods travel? Are the vehicles used to transport them energy-efficient? What is the supplier doing to reduce fuel consumption? 

• Who is harvesting this food? How are they compensated? What labor protections are in place for farmworkers? 

• What is the feed conversation ratio (for beef or seafood)? 

• How much water or feed is used to produce this food? What are they doing to ensure healthy soil and protect crops from pests? 

• How are goods stored? Do they use reusable packaging? 

• Does the supplier have plans for reducing their use of energy, water, and chemicals? 

• What sustainability certifications do they have or are working towards?  

• What happens to food that doesn’t sell? Is it donated, composted, or discarded? What are they doing to minimize waste and address food insecurity? 

Working with sustainable suppliers to reduce your restaurant’s carbon footprint is not only good for the environment—it can also be good for your bottom line. Consider sharing a sustainability statement on your restaurant’s website with a list of sustainable partners, and be sure to highlight any sustainable certifications you’ve earned. More and more customers care about the environment, so sharing the steps you’ve taken to improve sustainability can help build goodwill for your brand.