The recent Stern report on climate change signposts not only a change in world order due to erratic temperature changes, but a scenario where the common acceptance of food supply from around the globe may be seriously threatened. This is hard to imagine in the UK where we are used to being able to buy almost anything, anytime and anywhere - much of it thanks to modern packaging and logistics systems and supermarkets' growth. Part of the forecasted doom is down to the expected exponential growth in the emerging economies of China and India, who will increasingly be forced to focus upon feeding their indigenous populations rather than providing cheap labour to produce packaging and packed goods for the EU or USA.
If the scenarios are anywhere near as accurate, the emphasis on self- sufficiency in food supply will demand a reappraisal of a pack's role in life. As noted in the recent inquiry on trade prospects with India by the House of Commons Trade & Industry Select Committee, up to 40% of food is currently wasted there due to poor refrigeration and transportation - both requiring efficient packaging systems. Hence, packaging will be initially appraised in India and China as the essential player in managing an efficient food supply chain to reduce that wastage to the near 5% seen in most developed countries.
It is only when increased wealth creates excess consumption patterns that packaging starts to be re-evaluated not as a primary source of food supply and preservation but an intrusion and constant reminder of those excesses - a useful scapegoat. The resulting emphasis by politicians and NGOs on packaging as a waste issue has been well known to us for over 25 years.
Is that all about to change again? As the world views food supply and preservation as a greater priority due to climate change affecting production patterns globally, the need to maximise supply chain efficiencies with less energy and resources will not just be a politicians' wish-list, but vital for survival. Excesses will disappear of their own accord as systems become ever more strained, quelling consumers craving the nostalgia of shopping for loose fruit and vegetables in a wicker basket, as packaging becomes re-appraised for its original purpose again.
What should manufacturers do? Recognise that the future will not only be in supplying volume, but supplying smarter packaging through less resources and improved design. The time for packaging to be seen again as an added value rather than a cost plus item is well overdue, but let's hope we do not have to wait for a crisis point to prove it.
