{"id":4704,"date":"2026-02-10T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T10:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themis-industries.com\/?p=4704"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:37:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:37:26","slug":"sustainability-in-the-agri-food-sector-impacts-and-eu-regulations-you-absolutely-need-to-know-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themis-industries.com\/en\/blog\/sustainability-in-the-agri-food-sector-impacts-and-eu-regulations-you-absolutely-need-to-know-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability in the agri-food sector: impacts and EU regulations you absolutely need to know about"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The agri-food industry is one of the largest globally, but it is also one of the biggest drivers of environmental impact.<\/strong> In our country and in Europe, the weight of this sector is no longer negligible, which is why verifiable targets, obligations, and requirements have been created to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. <\/p>\n\n

In this scenario, \u201csustainability\u201d means something very concrete: reducing measurable impacts<\/strong> while ensuring compliance.<\/strong> Here we see where the environmental footprint of the supply chain is concentrated (with a practical focus on factories) and which EU regulations are essential to know. <\/p>\n\n

How much pollution does the food industry cause and why is sustainability important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The environmental impact of the agri-food supply chain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

The agri-food sector<\/strong> has a significant impact on the environment because, in order to produce food, it consumes resources on a large scale<\/strong> and generates impacts throughout the entire chain.<\/p>\n\n

In terms of climate<\/strong>, food production is responsible for around 30% of global emissions,<\/strong> with livestock farming alone contributing around 14.5%<\/strong>. But it is not just a question of CO\u2082: farming and livestock breeding require space (over 40% of land is used for agricultural activities<\/strong>) and a lot of water (agriculture absorbs around 70% of available fresh water<\/strong>). <\/p>\n\n

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\"Sostenibilità<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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This combination of emissions, land use, and water consumption is reflected in ecosystems: the food system is considered one of the main causes of biodiversity loss, accounting for up to almost 80%.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

What does this mean in practice for a factory?<\/strong> Sustainability is not a statement: it is work involving numbers, flows, and operational choices. Here, the golden rule applies: if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n

Food waste and refuse: why they are an environmental (and cost) issue for businesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Food waste<\/a> is not just an ethical issue: it is an industrial cost<\/strong> (raw materials purchased and not utilized), an environmental cost<\/strong> (resources used \u201cin vain\u201d), and a management risk<\/strong> (storage, odors, recalls, non-compliance).<\/p>\n\n

In the European Union alone, more than 59 million tons of food<\/strong> are wasted every year, a figure that is even more absurd when we consider that this corresponds to over 130 kg of food per person.<\/p>\n\n

This is where waste management becomes a strategic issue: not just \u201cdisposing\u201d of waste, but reducing volumes, stabilizing matrices, separating correctly, and recovering value <\/strong>where possible, while remaining within the regulatory framework.<\/p>\n\n

The main environmental regulations for the food sector in the EU<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

In the food sector, sustainability <\/strong>is no longer an \u201cextra\u201d: it is part of the scope of compliance<\/strong>, with rules that influence the daily choices of businesses. The EU is pushing for decarbonization <\/strong>and more circular models and, as a result, is raising the bar on what needs to be measured, monitored, and demonstrated.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

The point is not to know all the acronyms: it is to understand what obligations apply to critical flows (emissions, waste, packaging, traceability) and how to prevent them from becoming operational risks or uncontrolled costs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Greenhouse gas emissions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
\"Sostenibilità<\/figure>\n\n

Here, the key word is control<\/strong>: control of emissions and, increasingly, control of the conditions that generate them.<\/p>\n\n