Demand for sustainable products could lead to carbon neutrality

During an interview with The Nation, the company pointed out that sustainability links with consumers’ needs for sustainable products.

This trend is being driven by climate change, the business environment, economic challenges and increasing population amidst limited natural resources.

This year, 22% of Thai consumers said the environment and sustainable practices are among the top three criteria they consider when choosing products compared to just 3% in 2020, according to the company's survey.

"We believe that consumers want a tasty, healthy product that is also sustainably sourced," said the company's vice president and general manager for the ASEAN region, Raymond Deidrick.

Business operation and sustainable development

Ingredion (Thailand) offers ingredient solutions made from plant-based materials to meet the demand for food, beverages, animal nutrition, brewing and industry based on three key pillars: Everyday life: ensuring people and product safety; Planet life: preserving planet resources and preventing impacts on the environment and biodiversity; and Connected life: promoting sustainable and regenerative agriculture

The company has also launched a programme to ensure sustainable production throughout its supply chain and comply with international standards, with the aim of achieving a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 100% avoidance of waste to landfill by 2030. It also aims to sustainably source 100% of the corn, tapioca, potato, stevia and pulse crops by 2025.

However, the company faces challenges in communicating with its partners on sustainable development, especially farmers in Thailand who are familiar with traditional cultivation practices.

"We try to communicate, train and provide proper information to farmers and convince them to change their practices," said the company's procurement and sourcing director, Phairote Chowtivicha.

Phairote added that the company has also developed and launched a mobile application to better improve communication with local farmers.

Advice for sustainability

As technology and creativity come with a lot of risks, Ingredion (Thailand) advises business operators to focus on what they are trying to achieve in sustainable development.

"When we look at the next phase of sustainability, I think we should reach out to colleagues, suppliers and communities throughout the supply chain and ask for their ideas to ensure mutual benefits," said Deidrick.

"As resources are limited, start-ups and everyone should be aware that there is a way that they can work for future generations in the long term," Phairote added.