The winners of the 2019 Sustainable Food Awards were announced at a dedicated awards reception in Amsterdam a few days ago. Organised by Ecovia Intelligence, the awards give recognition to operators who are helping build a sustainable food industry.
The winners and runner-ups for each of the five award categories are...
New Sustainable Product
The winner is IBIS Rice (Cambodia) for its organic, wildlife-friendly jasmine rice. The rice is made by 1,000 Cambodian rice farmers, protecting 500,000 hectares of forest and wetlands, and conserving over 50 animal species.
The runner-up is Fairtrade Original (The Netherlands) with its fairtrade canned jack fruit. Marketed as a meat alternative, the first ethical canned jackfruit was launched in the Dutch market earlier this year. Other finalists were BEE & YOU Propolis (Turkey) and Naturli' Foods Chick Free (Denmark).
Sustainable Packaging
VegWare (UK) is the winner with its Bon Appetit foodservice bowls. The foodservice bowls are made from plant-based materials and are compostable.
VPZ Verpackungszentrum (Austria) is runner-up with its cellulose-based net packaging. Made from FSC-certified beechwood, the compostable netting is used to package organic fruits & vegetables. EcoTensil (USA) was the other finalist.
Sustainable Ingredient
Barilla (Italy) received the top award for its Mulino Bianco Soft wheat flour. The soft wheat is produced according to sustainable agriculture, and used in the Mulino Bianco Buongrano biscuit.
DianaFood (France) is the runner-up with carrot juice powder, which has low environmental footprint and social impacts. DuPont Biosciences (USA) was the other finalist with with HOLDBAC® YM VG and DANISCO® VG Cultures.
Sustainability Pioneer
Alara Wholefoods (UK) is the winner. The organic breakfast cereal company has pioneered many initiatives, including zero-waste and carbon–neutral facilities, as well as adopting compostable packaging.
Sophie’s Kitchen (USA) is the runner-up for creating a novel range of plant-based seafood products. BioFoods (Sri Lanka) was the other finalist.
Sustainability Leadership
The two joint winners were ABP Food Group (Ireland) and Cà Colonna (Italy). ABP Food Group was commended for introducing a raft of initiatives to reduce its environmental impacts. Cà Colonna is a social farming enterprise that is integrating biodiversity into agri-food supply chains.
www.sfawards.com
