A New Era of Sustainability Marketing in the Food Industry

Communicating sustainability in the food industry is undergoing a transformation. The EU’s upcoming Green Claims Directive sets new standards for environmental claims, while growing consumer interest in sustainability opens doors for innovation and leadership. How can companies navigate this evolving landscape?

Stricter Rules for Green Claims

The Green Claims Directive is set to revolutionize environmental communication for businesses. Under the directive, all environmental claims must be based on scientific evidence and verifiable facts. Vague terms such as “eco-friendly” or “green choice” will no longer suffice—claims must be supported by concrete data and transparency.

For food companies, this means adopting a more cautious approach to communication. The two-year transition period provides time to prepare, but action should start immediately:

• Audit current communication practices in light of the directive’s requirements.
• Develop measurement and reporting systems.
• Train staff to comply with the new standards.

Relevance as the Focus of Sustainability Communication

One common pitfall in sustainability messaging is emphasizing irrelevant issues. While reducing packaging materials is important, the most significant environmental impacts in the food industry typically occur elsewhere. More impactful areas often include raw material production and agricultural emissions, energy consumption in production processes, food waste across the value chain, and logistics emissions.

A truly sustainable company should focus its messaging on actions that drive real impact. This could include reducing agricultural emissions in collaboration with farmers, using renewable energy in production, developing innovative solutions to minimize waste, or prioritizing local ingredients.

Turning Innovations Into Consumer Trends

Sustainability efforts can lead to innovations that reshape entire industries. The success story of oat-based products is an excellent example: initially developed with sustainability in mind, these products have become a global mega-trend.

Successfully commercializing innovation requires:

• Understanding consumer needs and anticipating trends.
• Strong product development expertise.
• Bold and consistent marketing efforts.
• Transparent communication about the product’s sustainability benefits.

A successful sustainability innovation combines environmental benefits with added value for consumers, such as better taste, improved nutritional content, ease of use, health benefits, or domestic origin.

Towards More Impactful Sustainability Communication

The future of sustainability marketing in the food industry rests on three pillars:

1. Regulatory compliance and transparency.
2. Focusing on relevant impacts.
3. Bold commercialization of innovations.

The Green Claims Directive marks the end of superficial greenwashing. This is a welcome change that rewards genuinely sustainable companies. Businesses should view the stricter requirements as an opportunity to stand out and build sustainable competitive advantage. Superficial claims are no longer sufficient for success.

Winners will be those companies that combine evolving sustainability efforts with impactful communication and consumer-focused innovations. Achieving this demands courage, long-term commitment, and a genuine desire to transform the industry toward greater sustainability.

Need help with marketing your product sustainably? We’re here to assist: www.bettera.fi

Author Bio – Marika Siniaalto, Bettera

Marika is a marketing professional with over 20 years of experience. She is the founder and active owner of the marketing agency Grapevine. Additionally, she influences the future of the marketing industry as the Chair of the Board for the Finnish Marketing Association (MARK).

Her areas of expertise include strategies, plans, digitalization, content, social media, and implementation, particularly for B2C brands.

Marika is also an expert in sustainable marketing, holding a certificate in Responsible Marketing and Communication. She is a frequent speaker on topics such as sustainability credibility and honesty in marketing.