Resources and efficiency

Resource efficiency is a key part of developing sustainable and competitive business.  The intrinsic processes of producing healthy and nutritious products are increasingly influenced by extrinsic processes that relate directly to resource efficiency.  These processes include food packaging, distribution, waste valorisation, product life cycles, water consumption and energy use.  It is not enough to look at production and processing in isolation and there is a growing need in manufacturing, service and retail sectors to consider the whole food system.  The methods used to assess resource efficiency will be a increasingly visible part of developing innovative products.  The policy background to sustainability in the food system and an overview of resource efficiency methodologies is provided here.