As noted by a recent study, significant changes in food production, distribution and consummation are still required in all sectors and groups.1 There, the study concluded that very few sports nutrition recommendations and guidelines include sustainability, with fewer “integrating the environmental impact of food choices in a quantifiable manner.” Nevertheless, there has been a growing focus in consumer demand for more environmentally conscious products and production methods within the wider food and supplements industry, which inevitably has some cognisance with the sports nutrition sector. Carey agrees, noting that the sports nutrition industry has started to incorporate sustainability considerations in its product development, marketing, and business practices. Additionally, regulators are increasingly requiring organisations to comply with sustainability legislation, including those which phase out virgin and black plastics and reduce industrial operations’ environmental footprints. For example, the EU’s F2F strategy will ultimately resonate with the sports nutrition industry in pushing for more sustainable products. Accordingly, Carey notes, the industry has responded to these expectations, with sustainability incorporated across the supply chain; product sourcing, animal welfare, renewable energy for production, innovative and circular packaging, and efficient waste management practices. For example, companies like HIGH5 have partnered with TerraCycle®, a company which specialises in hard-to-recycle waste, such as those used in products like gels and bars. Additionally, Reguant says that European brands are ensuring they are more aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a solution. At Bioiberica he says their business model is centred on a circular economy, ensuring that their products are not only safe, but sustainable. In addition to procedural changes, Carey highlights the plethora of vegetarian, vegan and alternative protein products which are available, something which Simha, says are “trending hot.” Regarding the latter, Carey says that insect-based protein uses a fraction of the land, energy, and water that traditional farming requires, resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint. Recent data from the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed suggest that sports nutrition will be one of the primary markets targeted by food operators in the coming years.
Exploring how the broader nutraceutical community is ‘Investing in our planet’ on Earth Day 2022.
1 Meyer, N.L., Reguant-Closa, A. & Nemecek, T. Sustainable Diets for Athletes. Curr Nutr Rep 9, 147–162 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-020-00318-0