Why Ingredient Suppliers Are Key to Food’s Net-Zero Future
- Anantha Peramuna, PhD
- Oct 21
- 3 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
A few years ago, sustainability discussions in the food industry focused on packaging, transport, and energy efficiency. Today, the focus has shifted. A new reality has emerged that places suppliers, not factories, at the centre of climate strategy. If you work in ingredient sales, this shift is already reshaping your world. The fastest route to reducing emissions in food manufacturing now runs through the supply chain, and ingredient suppliers hold the key.
The Reality Behind Scope 3 Emissions
For most food and beverage companies, the majority of emissions occur long before a product reaches the factory floor. They come from farming, raw materials, and ingredients. These are known as Scope 3 emissions. According to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi):
“Supply chain emissions represent the largest source of emissions from companies. They are 11.4 times larger than direct emissions on average.” - SBTi, Supplier Engagement Guidance, 2024
Similarly, McKinsey reports:
“Scope 3 emissions account for around 80 % of the total climate impact for most consumer goods companies.” -McKinsey, Making Supply-Chain Decarbonization Happen, 2022
This means the biggest climate opportunity lies not inside factories or distribution centers, but within the materials companies buy. For food manufacturers, their ingredient list is also their carbon footprint.
The Rise of Supplier-driven Climate Action
More than 10,000 companies worldwide have now committed to the Science Based Targets initiative, including nearly every major food and beverage manufacturer. These companies must measure and reduce emissions across their entire value chain, not just within their own operations.
In practice, this means they need suppliers who can help them decarbonise. One of the fastest and most practical ways to do that is by optimising recipes with more sustainable ingredients, replacing animal-based inputs with plant-based alternatives that deliver the same functionality and quality.
Every tonne of lower-emission input material, from animal-based substitutes to plant-based alternatives, contributes directly to a customer’s Scope 3 reduction targets. When those substitutions are supported by verified life cycle data, they not only reduce emissions but also strengthen trust and long-term collaboration between buyers and suppliers.
Replacing High-impact Ingredients with Low-impact Alternatives
Ingredient substitution has become one of the most effective ways to achieve measurable emission reductions in food manufacturing.
Producing 1 kilogram of dairy cheese emits roughly 9 kilograms of CO₂e, while plant-based cheese powders typically range between 0.5 and 2 kilograms of CO₂e, a potential 75–90 % reduction.
A global study by the University of Vermont found that replacing half of all meat and dairy with plant-based alternatives could reduce agricultural emissions by 31 % by 2050. That is equivalent to eliminating the annual emissions of about 490 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.
These differences show why food manufacturers are rethinking sourcing strategies and why suppliers offering low-carbon ingredients are becoming vital partners in their decarbonization journeys.
From Supplier to Strategic Climate Partner
This shift is redefining how manufacturers view their suppliers:
Procurement is now climate-driven. Buyers evaluate products not only by cost and performance but also by verified emission data.
Data builds trust. Suppliers who can demonstrate credible, science-aligned reductions gain preferred-partner status.
Partnership replaces transactions. Ingredient companies that help manufacturers meet SBTi targets move from vendor to strategic collaborator, creating stronger and longer-term relationships.
For technical sales and application managers, this opens a new kind of conversation, one that links product performance with measurable climate benefit.
What Comes Next?
In the next articles, we will explore how technical sales teams can communicate carbon reductions effectively, how application managers balance functionality with sustainability, and how suppliers can integrate life cycle insights into customer engagement. For now, one message is clear: Food manufacturers cannot reach net zero alone. Their success depends on suppliers who innovate, quantify, and deliver lower-impact ingredients.
References:
Science-Based Targets initiative. New Supplier Engagement Guidance: Unlocking the Power of Supply Chains for Decarbonization, 2024. Link
McKinsey & Company. Making Supply-Chain Decarbonization Happen, 2022. Link
University of Vermont. Replacing Meat and Dairy with Plant-Based Alternatives Could Cut Emissions 31 %, 2023. Link
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, 2024. Link
Turn Ingredient Choices into Verified Scope 3 Wins
Give manufacturers what they’re asking for: supplier-specific product footprints and clear reduction options. In a 30-minute demo, we’ll show how Nature Preserve models your ingredient data, compares swap scenarios, and generates buyer-ready reports.
Supplier-specific footprints: (not generic factors) to satisfy B2B and regulatory asks.
Scenario testing: for low-carbon swaps, blends, and sourcing changes.
Shareable outputs: Your sales team can send them to procurement tomorrow.
Built for food & beverage supply chains; aligns with CSRD/SBTi workflows.
