Vitafoods highlights emerging opportunities for sustainable sourcing and upcycling

25 Jul 2023 --- The organizers of the Vitafoods Europe trade show reveal they are looking to connect providers, suppliers and producers with a focus on health benefits and the crucial aspects of sourcing, production and sustainability that underpin this ever-evolving field.

In the second part of our interview with Heather Granato, Vitafoods’ VP of partnerships and sustainability, Nutrition Insight discusses what Grenato says is the “core” of the nutraceutical industry.

“It’s about people at the end of the day,” she says. “That’s what people get into this for and a lot of the people who start these companies have a personal health challenge – they were looking for a solution and now produce solutions for people around the world.”

“It’s not just the health benefit, but about how we are thinking about what we’re bringing to them. I think that’s what sustainability, ultimately, is going to be – having diverse people around the table so when we’re thinking about developing products, we’re thinking about who needs them, where they need them and how they are going to have access to them.”

Sustainable sourcing
One of the critical aspects of sourcing that Granato emphasizes is the need to use those sources again. Though this may seem obvious, it is different from industries where the main focus on sourcing is to get the needed item and leave when it runs out.Improving the community is an important part of responsible sustainable sourcing.

“We can drive that forward if we think differently about sourcing, how we develop products,  who’s developing them and where they’re coming from,” she says. 

“How do we meet our needs in a way that is environmentally conscious, positively impacts the places and communities where they’re coming from all the way through to the end product?”

One area she highlights is that of product packaging, which she says plays a crucial role in shaping consumer preferences. For instance, Granato notes that, while blister packs may be a popular choice due to their convenience, it is essential to question their environmental impact once consumers finish using the products.

“How can we ensure the products are high quality, delivered and stable but, at the end of the day, are not just packaging that ends up in a landfill?” she asks. “Collectively, the more we discuss this, the more transparent we are in conversations and acknowledge the challenges the more we can drive change.”

“If you can’t acknowledge where you are, then you’re not going to be able to move forward.”

The urgent need for upcycling
Granato also notes that upcycling is becoming a core topic in the industry as well. Though not new – she says the history of upcycling goes back ages – it is an increasingly discussed topic.

“I remember, years and years ago, going out to China and seeing where they could take the tomato waste and, instead of just immediately making it into animal feed, they could extract the lycopene,” she elaborates. “All of a sudden, you’re getting a high-value nutrient, as well as the animal feed.”

“So how can we get more out of everything?” she asks. I think we’re going to hear more about upcycling and see new innovations on how to get more out of what we already have.”

Supporting Solidaridad
Another aspect of this year’s trade show that Granato spotlights is its partnership with the international networking organization Solidaridad. The organization’s innovation manager for health and the founder of Health Perspectives, Monique van de Vijver, spoke at the Sustainability Resource Center in Geneva, Switzerland this year.Solidaridad is embedded in the communities where they work and looks for opportunities, like crop rotation, to improve sustainability.

“We wanted an organization that looked at supply chain issues with a focus on human rights and transparency,” Granato explains. “We brought them in to have them speak on this idea of new business models. it aligns directly with what they’re now doing with medicinal and aromatic plants.”

Granato further explains some of the work the organization is doing: “Looking at something like turmeric, Solidaridad would ask ‘how do we work with the farmers and ensure that they see a benefit?’” Granato illustrates. “When looking at opportunities for the future, maybe there’s an opportunity to rotate or – if a place is currently just growing soy and not getting the same return – could they grow Tulsi?”

She questions if there might be another opportunity and, if so, how Solidaridad looks at what they can do in some of these geographies that will benefit the farmers, the industry and communities.

Additionally, Granato highlights that, because Solidaridad is a non-governmental organization, they work locally and are entrenched in the areas they are helping. 

“It’s not like you’ve got this huge organization and they just send a person here and a person there – they’re really embedded in the communities and looking at the impact on the ground in the value chain. That’s why we help connect them with interested companies who might not have known about this,” she concludes.

By William Bradford Nichols