Climate-friendly procurement
Sustainable procurement has a positive effect on the climate and can protect endangered species as well as preserve biodiversity. What should be considered?
In addition to sourcing regional, seasonal, organic and fairtrade food, other factors such as the efficient use of resources, especially water and energy in food production, or the protection of endangered species (especially marine animals and fish) also play an important role in sustainable procurement.
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Increase the share of regional products to avoid transport emissions (‘the closer the better’), and therefore consider establishing local supply chains or growing your own gardens to harvest fresh herbs, for example.
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Use seasonal and organically grown produce whenever possible. Guests increasingly value fresh and healthy foods.
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Buy less meat (especially beef), seafood and dairy products and offer attractive vegetarian and vegan alternatives.
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Reduce or eliminate packaging materials and, when possible, use larger containers that can be reused. Work with your suppliers to produce less packaging waste.
When introducing a sustainable food procurement policy, keep the following three guiding principles in mind*:
Buy as few/little as possible:
- Vegetables grown in heated greenhouses (highly energy intensive)
- Foods involving air transport (highly energy intensive)
- Specific species, such as giant, king and tiger prawns, lobster (environmentally harmful as fishing contributes to mangrove destruction)
- Imported beef (highly energy intensive)
Buy less (all highly water or energy intensive):
- Beef
- Deep-sea fish (e.g. cod) or farmed carnivorous fish (e. g. salmon)
- Rice
- Seasonal foods out of season
Buy more (comparably little water/energy use involved):
- Locally produced foods, if transported over short distances
- Potatoes
- Grains including pasta
- Free range eggs
- If meat, then pork and chicken
- Foodstuffs with longer shelf-lives
Work with your suppliers towards sustainability
Most hospitality businesses work with multiple local and international suppliers. Check their sustainability performance regularly. One way might be the use of supplier scorecards that assess the suppliers not only from an economic (price) point of view but also take into account environmental, social, and cultural considerations. Especially if price differences are small, you should choose the company with the better sustainability performance.
Ask and discuss with your suppliers about sustainability issues such as:
- Working conditions of employees
- Fair trade practices along the supply chain
- Ban on endangered animal and plant species (red list)
- Preference for environmentally friendly products
- Preference for fresh, seasonal, organic, and local products
*Source: Gössling et al. (2011). Food management in tourism: Reducing tourism’s carbon ‘foodprint’.