Like many other industries, agri-food supply chains are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. However, good practices along the stages of the production cycle can significantly reduce the overall carbon footprint. In the northern Italian processing tomato supply chain, pulp and puree production sustainability is transparent and controlled.
Carbon footprint is an environmental indicator that estimates the greenhouse gas emissions produced by an activity or product, usually expressed in tons of CO₂ equivalent. For an agri-food product, all emissions that are released at different stages, from cultivation in the field to the processing stage, should be considered. In the production of processing tomatoes, the carbon footprint is the sum of emissions at the various stages, precisely in the agricultural activity (from seed to seedling and field cultivation), in the transportation from field to processing plants, and in the industrial activities of processing, packaging, and distribution.
Sustainable processing techniques, such as using renewable energy sources and optimizing energy efficiency, can help mitigate these emissions. The European Union has already taken action to reduce CO₂ emissions in the agri-food sector through several policies and strategies, such as Farm to Fork and Green Deal. OI Pomodoro del Nord Italia’s supply chain, which accounts for 25% of the European processing tomato production, has been working for years on practices and technologies to reduce its overall carbon footprint along all stages of production from field to processing plants. It is the first supply chain that analyzed and measured the environmental footprint of its products as early as 2015 to provide consumers and buyers with clear and transparent information. To do so, it used the methodology suggested by the European Commission in Recommendation 2021/2279/EU of December 16, 2021. This methodology defines a fixed European way of assessing and reporting the environmental footprint of products called Product Environmental Footprint (PEF, in short).
In 2015, OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia measured its carbon footprint to produce 1 kg of tomato puree, which resulted in 1.27 kg CO₂-eq. The CO₂ emissions of the entire production cycle are comparable to those emitted by an average car traveling 1.5 km.
A new study (soon to be published), sponsored as part of an ENEA project to enrich the national database of supply chains in various sectors, has again measured the carbon footprint of the OI Pomodoro da Industria del Nord Italia’s supply chain. On data updated to 2020 and 2021, the initial results indicate that the carbon footprint of our products has decreased by an additional 15-20%.
The carbon footprint of our supply chain
Let’s start with field cultivation. After seedlings are born from seeds, a process happening in the greenhouse in February and March, all tomatoes destined to be processed in Northern Italy are grown in the open field from April until harvesting, which takes place between July and September. According to natural seasonality, growing in the spring-summer period is an extremely positive aspect in terms of environmental impact compared to greenhouse cultivation. Greenhouse production, typical of tomatoes for fresh consumption, requires a lot of energy for heating, cooling, and lighting. This contributes to a huge rise in CO₂ emissions. It is important to notice that field production of processing tomatoes is implemented with the sustainable farming practices of integrated farming and organic farming, which produce a lower environmental impact. The PEF study shows that the carbon footprint to grow the tomatoes needed to produce 1 kg of tomato puree is 0.317 kg CO₂-eq, which amounts to only 25% of the carbon footprint caused by the entire production process, from seed to the final packaged and ready-to-eat product.
The transportation phase of the tomato from the field to the processing plants is also a decisive cause of carbon emissions. The greater the distance between fields and processing plants is wide, the more significant the carbon footprint. In the case of OI Pomodoro del Nord Italia, the PEF study determined that to produce 1 kg of tomato puree, the carbon footprint of the transportation from the field to the processing plant is only 0.020 kg CO₂-eq, representing only 1.5 percent of the overall carbon footprint. Why is that? Because the average distance between fields and processing plants in our supply chain is only 60 km! Indeed, a short supply chain of raw materials. In the transportation phase, our supply chain emits 80% less CO₂ emissions than long-distance transport. In addition, given the short distances, the tomatoes do not require refrigeration and storage systems that would emit CO₂. Most importantly, tomatoes are processed within hours of the harvest, retaining their highest quality and all organoleptic properties.
Let’s move on to the industrial processing stage, where fresh tomatoes are processed into derivatives such as concentrates, pulps, and purees. In order to do so, the heat needed considerably consumes energy. It should be noted that the processing of fresh tomatoes is seasonal. Thus, the greatest energy consumption occurs exclusively during the summer processing period from July to September, for about 65 days. The processing plants are turned off or work at a minimum for the rest of the year. As a result, the CO₂ emissions from these operations are constantly evaluated and monitored. On top of that, targeted interventions improve the processing plants’ efficiency in order to lower the environmental impact and reduce costs by saving energy. As further actions to reduce CO₂ emissions, our collaborators have introduced diverse innovative and environmentally friendly technology solutions over time. The installation of photovoltaic panels in the processing plants promotes the use of renewable energy. Some processing plants receive up to 20% of their total energy from renewable energy sources through photovoltaic panels. Photovoltaic energy saves up to 90% of CO₂ emissions for the production of 1 kWh of energy, compared to the national energy mix. In general, the use of green and renewable energy sources in the processing tomato supply chain is steadily increasing.
The result is that the carbon footprint of the processing stage is 0.254 kg CO₂-eq and represents 20% of the total carbon footprint to produce 1 kg of tomato puree. As evidence of their commitment to reducing their environmental impact, several processing companies publish annual “sustainability reports” aimed at communicating their sustainability efforts and goals. To go into more detail, tomato processing industries have deployed several innovative technologies, especially for the most energy-intensive plants, including, for example, evaporators, which significantly reduce methane gas consumption. As a matter of fact, a large amount of steam is used to heat and evaporate water from tomatoes for sterilization and other steps in the production process. Immediately after its use, the steam is conveyed to so-called condensation chambers, where its transformation into a liquid phase takes place. The resulting condensation is then collected and can be redirected to the boilers in order to be heated and converted back into steam. This process is known as “condensate recovery.” Such conversion significantly reduces both fuel consumption and freshwater use. This not only leads to savings in operating costs but also significantly reduces environmental impact. Several plants have also recently installed cogeneration plants, which enable efficient combined heat and power generation, reducing the carbon footprint by eliminating transportation losses. Another factor reducing our carbon footprint is the gradual replacement of diesel oil with natural gas for boiler operation.
Conclusions
The processing tomato supply chain aims to provide consumers and industry stakeholders with transparent data to make informed choices. OI Pomodoro del Nord Italia’s supply chain keeps its carbon footprint low by applying positive actions at all stages of production and processing while consolidating responsible supply chain management. Awareness and collaboration within the tomato processing industry, along with the adoption of eco-friendly technologies, are crucial steps toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for tomato production. Tomato cultivation takes place in open fields and not in a greenhouse, and it is an entirely integrated production, partly organic. The transportation distance from the field to the industry plant is minimal, only 60 km, allowing producers to process the tomato directly in the territory where it is grown. Processing is performed by employing innovative and green technologies, along with renewable energy sources.
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