Albertomaria Franzoni: Sustainability Management in Food Retail
In the rapidly evolving landscape of corporate sustainability, understanding and addressing challenges while leveraging opportunities is crucial for success. Albertomaria Franzoni, the Head of Sustainable Supply Chain, shared his profound insights into the challenges and opportunities within the food retail sector. His expertise, drawn from years of experience in mid-sized startups and consulting roles, offers invaluable lessons for sustainability managers navigating today’s complex environmental landscape.
The Challenges: Data, Clarity, and Global Consensus
Albertomaria highlights a significant issue in sustainability: the lack of clear problem definitions. “There is a lot of talk around sustainability. I think that one of the issues is pretty much the grey zone. You know there is a lot of talking but even though you have the UN or other important entities that are driving, leading the talk in sustainability, there are still scientists from other areas or independent scientists promoting different theories. So I think that in general taking one side looks more related to interest, still business interest rather than maybe Earth interest.”
Albertomaria argues for global agreement, stating, “We must have more agreement overall, not just because the EU is saying something while China is not. There must be more global consensus.” This highlights the necessity of international collaboration.
Albertomaria also addresses the problem of unreliable data: “Second, there is a problem with data. And here is like my engineering approach saying that as an engineer, I have to clarify and have clear which are the data, which are the numbers, which are the instruments, the algorithm that we have to use. And I believe that we are still well behind with having algorithms shared among different industries.” A 2023 McKinsey report found that 60% of companies struggle with inconsistent carbon footprint data, emphasizing the need for accurate data as a foundation for intelligent sustainability software and automated sustainability reporting.
Opportunities in Food Retail Supply Chains
Food retail presents unique opportunities for sustainability managers. According to Albertomaria, “In food retail, it’s very easy to work on. Reducing the intermediation within the supply chain, at the end, what you get is cost-saving opportunities. So, you're realizing that cost and CO2 emission can go together, and that can be a huge opportunity for sustainability managers.”
Research published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in 2022 shows that direct farm-to-retail models can cut emissions by up to 25% while reducing supply chain costs by 15%, supporting this alignment between cost-saving and CO2 reduction. Tools like carbon footprint software and Scope 3 software can help quantify these benefits, enabling actionable insights.
Transparency, Albertomaria argues, is another key opportunity: “Transparency itself is a value that is not very well identified generally in the food retail sector. Regarding how to make it more transparent, first is about tracing. You have to clarify where the ingredients, where the products you buy, you purchase, come from.” A 2023 Deloitte study reveals that 70% of consumers prefer brands that disclose their sourcing practices, underscoring how transparency not only enhances trust but also strengthens market positioning.
The Future: Standardization and Innovative Tools
Albertomaria’s vision for the future includes the need for standardized tools and metrics: “What I believe is important again is to standardize because if any company starts using a different tool, then we are in the ocean of data models, difficult to compare. It would be easier if suppliers, retailers, even clients might use some standard tools.”
Insights from the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2023 reveal that organizations adopting standard methodologies for carbon footprint tracking, such as the GHG Protocol, report 20% faster implementation of decarbonization strategies. Standardized sustainability tools can simplify automated sustainability reporting and reduce inefficiencies.
Albertomaria also advocates for incorporating sustainability metrics directly into supply chain dashboards: “It would be very useful at least to have and measure a unit that might be the CO2, for example, emission per unit produced, for example, or sold. That would move towards taking action again.” By integrating KPIs such as CO2 emissions per unit, sustainability managers can prioritize initiatives that align environmental goals with business objectives.
Albertomaria Franzoni’s insights underscore the complex yet rewarding journey of sustainability management in food retail. From addressing the “grey zone” in global consensus to leveraging transparency and standardization, his experiences provide a roadmap for sustainability managers to drive impactful change. By embracing intelligent sustainability software, automated reporting, and carbon footprint tracking, the industry can align cost-efficiency with decarbonization goals, paving the way for a sustainable future.
For sustainability managers, the key takeaway is clear: collaboration, innovation, and actionable data are the cornerstones of successful environmental management.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any company.
