2007 was a landmark year for the climate change issue. People, Governments and businesses all woke up to the fact that tackling climate change should be a primary issue – for a wealth of reasons. With the food and drink industry already reacting to a growing consumer demand for greener products, what are the risks and opportunities faced by the industry in 2008?

Alex Myers, Senior Consultant, Sustainability Communications at Kaizo commented : “All industries, sectors and individual businesses will need to react to climate change in 2008 in order to remain future-facing businesses. Already we have seen increased pressure from consumers on retailers that has led to major implications for the supply chain.”

“The risk of not meeting new consumer expectations is met with the opportunities of enhanced brand experiences. Businesses are learning how to make money from going green – and gaining a return on the investment in a low carbon business model is forging an inherent link between sustainability and profitability.”

As we enter another benchmark year for the issue, we want to poll the readers of Food and Drink News to understand better exactly what our industry is doing, where more changes can be made, where the commercial advantages are coming from and what the attitudes are towards green issues. Does the industry see climate change as a fad? What are the risks for businesses that aren’t adapting to a low-carbon business model?

Will 2008 see any sea-changes in terms of consumer activity? Is too much responsibility placed on the supply chain? Is Government doing enough to help the food and drink industry in the UK? Conducted with sustainability experts Kaizo, the Food & Drink News ‘roadmap to sustainability’ report 2008 will be published in our next issue.