Corbion builds its own – and others’ – sustainability [Interview]

Having publicly committed to climate change action in October 2019 by setting specific targets to reduce its Scope I, II and III greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Corbion managed to hit its 2025 targets by the very next year - 2020. As vice president of sustainability Diana Visser explains, those original targets had been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and were submitted for validation by the SBTi in June last year.

Carbon calculus

“For Corbion’s algae portfolio, we conducted a thorough sustainability review of the production process,” says Visser. “In 2020, we carried out a full life cycle assessment (LCA) which demonstrated that our algae omega-3s have a lower carbon footprint than traditional fish oil sources. This ISO 14040/44-compliant LCA was subsequently peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in the scientific journal Algal Research in September 2021.”

Corbion believes it has a responsibility to help preserve the climate as best it can, and that it can play an essential role in the transition to a zero-carbon economy. It is doing this not only by cutting its own emissions but by offering encouragement and support to its suppliers. It can, of course, offer the same to its customers, but with the critical addition of its low-carbon algae products.

“We are dedicated to promoting climate action by enabling our customers to reduce their footprint, supplying sustainable ingredients to help meet their goals,” says Visser.

At the same time, the company is acutely aware that there are many other environmental impacts to monitor and reduce beyond carbon, and even beyond wider GHGs.

Pressure on resources

More broadly, Corbion pays close attention to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “We are focused on SDG-2, SDG-3 and SDG-12, as we believe these goals can make the most significant positive impact beyond our business activities,” says Visser.

SDG-2 refers to the elimination of hunger, and SDG-3 targets good health and wellbeing. SDG-12, on the other hand, is all about responsible consumption and production.

“At Corbion, we want to preserve what matters,” Visser explains. “We are dedicated to sustainable development through innovative technologies that advance diets and reduce pressure on resources, without impacting carbon footprint.”

As the UN emphasises, the world’s population is expected to increase by nearly 2 billion over the next 30 years. But at the same time, the resources available to meet this growing demand are diminishing. We are already facing food insecurity, but the Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that demand for food will increase by between 70% and 100% by 2050.

“We at Corbion believe that, for the sake of current and future generations, we need to shift gears, look beyond the industry’s standard solutions and find new ways of operating,” says Visser. The company’s approach is to champion innovation in order to tackle the unprecedented nutritional and sustainability challenges facing the world today.

Algae is the original source of long-chain omega-3s in a marine environment, and part of Corbion’s mission is to relieve pressure on overburdened ocean resources, while at the same time ensuring that the nutrition reaching our growing population is of the highest possible quality.

Meet Corbion’s team at their booth M39 during the coming Vitafoods show.