Introduction

The food industry desperately needs new preservation methods to keep the food safe to consume and of the same quality as it used to be, but not at the expense of the environment. In the present techniques, there will always be a waste of many products and environmental pollution, implying the need to adopt environmentally friendly methods.  In this regard, we present Eco-Preserve, an innovative and environmentally safe approach to food preservation that incorporates natural antimicrobial agents with a biodegradable packaging solution to enhance shelf life while respecting food integrity (Fathi et al., 2022). Eco-Preserve shall use extracts from plants with microbicides, such as rosemary and oregano, incorporated into biodegradable materials. Further, Eco-Preserve complies with ESG criteria based on below lines.

Environmental

Biodegradable packaging reduces the use of plastics, some of the environment’s common pollutants. Efficient and safe substances eliminate harsh chemicals in food preservation, thereby decreasing food products’ environmental impact.

Social

Eco-Preserve positively impacts consumers’ food security by making food products available for extended periods. This also fits the concept of social responsibility as it feeds the hungry and tackles the issue of food wastage.

Governance

Eco-Preserve is created according to the legislation requirements, and high ethical standards are followed throughout all stages of product production.

Sustainable project plan and design (ESG Criteria)

Statement of Needs

Project Statement of Work (SOW) & Scope

This project will be in different stages comprising research and development, product tests, market analysis, and commercial launch. Combining technological advancement with an ecological approach, Eco-Preserve wants to transform the food preservation sector to ensure that the food products that are prone to spoiling remain fresh and healthy for human consumption for the longest time possible while at the same time reducing the negative impact that the conventional food preservation methods have on the environment (Speranza et al., 2021).

Project Objectives:

To design a food preservation technology using natural antimicrobial substances to control spoilage microorganisms and pathogens.

To develop and manufacture biodegradable packaging incorporating antimicrobial agents, providing a double layer of food protection (Ortega-Rivas, 2007).

To assess the level of sustainability that will be incorporated into the new technology, together with an analysis of the impact on the environment.

Project Deliverables:

These deliverables include a detailed analysis and development reports on research findings of natural antimicrobial agents and biodegradable materials. The outcomes of the tests will be presented, and the effectiveness of the preservation technology in the described environment will be proved (Hassoun et al., 2022). An EIA report shall be prepared to assess the degree of integration of the chosen technology into sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Additionally, there will be end-of-launch and post-launch market reviews & recommendation reports to unveil consumers’ reactions and market conditions after a product launch.

Sustainability Goals:

To contribute to the decrease of food waste by prolonging the shelf life of most products to the extent that would exclude food spoilage (Abbas et al., 2023).

Reducing the consumption of synthetic preservatives and chemicals in food preservation is a way to avoid health and environmental issues.

Ensure that biodegradable packaging is encouraged to minimize the use of plastics.

Promotes sustainable agriculture since natural antimicrobial agents for various products originate from renewable materials.

Terms of Payment:

Project Initiation Payment                              20 %

Completion of R&D Work                             30 %

Delivery of prototype & Testing phase           30 %

Product Delivery & Market Launch               20 %

Identification and Analysis of Key Stakeholders:

Internal Stakeholders:

Stakeholders are confined to those who work within the organization and implement the project. The project team comprehends the theoretical development, examination, and synthesis of the new food preservation technology and its actualization (Van Boxstael et al., 2013). Management supervises the project and is responsible for allocating resources and enforcing the idea.

External Stakeholders:

Supporting the organization’s success requires considering the external stakeholders in operation. The External Stakeholder includes supplier, consumers, regulatory bodies, Environmental organizations, investors & retailers (Nayak & Waterson, 2019).

Engaging Stakeholders in Sustainable Project Planning:

Stakeholders’ involvement in the sustainable planning of the Eco-Preserve project incorporates the follow-up strategies. The relevant stakeholders plan meetings to discuss sustainability and the status of specific projects. Seminars with representatives of environmental organizations and continuing work with them are carried out to incorporate the experience and accurately follow the observance of sustainable development principles (Tjilen et al., 2024). Organizational consumer surveys and feedback sessions are conducted to sufficiently measure market expectation acceptance and modification of the aspects of the project to satisfy the consumer’s demands. Suppliers’ relations should be robust to achieve the sustainability of their procurement materials delivering the green project. To build confidence, the investors are informed of the project’s sustainability implications and financial returns.

Stakeholders’ Sustainability Expectations:

The project is anticipated to reduce the amount of plastic waste and significantly reduce the level of organizations’ impact on the environment. Customers also require healthier ways of food preservation that are free from chemicals and packaging that is friendly to the environment, indicating customers’ concern about the environment. Investors want to be assured of the project’s sustainability and efficiency and that it does not contravene the ESG protocols (King et al., 2017). The legal expectations of managing bodies are that the project must meet all the stipulated and expected food safety and environmental standards.

Sustainable Governance

Governance Structure:

To ensure that developments follow the laid down goals, an honorable Sustainability Committee shall be appointed. A Sustainability Officer will be hired to ensure the project conforms to environmental and societal standards and document the Firm’s effects. For such reasons, peer and external reviews will ensure that the set standards are met and that the projects being implemented are on track (Ohene-Darko, 2018).

Governance Elements Aligned to Eco-Preserve:

Environmental Stewardship:

Environmental management is the essence of the Eco-Preserve project since it aims to preserve the environment and reduce its harm, starting from the project’s implementation phase. Continuous environmental Impact Analysis will be carried out to establish any adverse repercussions the project will have on the environment and eradicate or minimize them. These assessments shall afford strategic insights into the environmental implications of the project activities, which empowers the optimization of mitigation measures (ROBERTS & UNNEVEHR, 2005).

Social Responsibility:

Consultation with the local communities and the stakeholders will be ongoing because of the need to ensure that the project produces social returns and benefits that reflect the needs of the people. It will include consultation, information, participation in meetings, and cooperation to include local knowledge. Also, the project shall promote friendly and socially responsible sourcing of agricultural products for use in its products by engaging farmers who practice sustainable production and suppliers who share the exact noble cause of protecting the environment (Maloni & Brown, 2006).

Transparency and Accountability:

Transparency & Accountability shall be achieved through proper documentation and reporting of all the project steering, sustenance &financial progress. This documentation will include special reports and updates available to all of the stakeholders; this way, they will be aware of the project’s progress and its effects on the surroundings (Beulens et al., 2005). Those concerns will be directed to the specific communication channels set up to cater to the stakeholders’ feedback. Frequent updates and organized interactive sessions make communication a two-way process and build mutual trust between providers, carers, patients, and healthcare organizations.

Sustainable Procurement Criteria:

Environmental Criteria:

Suppliers should be chosen depending on their capacity to source raw materials that have a lesser negative impact on the environment, such as those that are biodegradable or can be recycled. It is also necessary to assess suppliers’ waste management processes that demonstrate adequate procedures in waste minimization, waste reuse, and recycling to drive down the total environmental impact (Andersson, 2008).

Social Criteria:

Regarding social criterion, employee relations provide valuable input into sustainable purchasing. It is noble that suppliers should be chosen in a way that shows good standards in employment, good workplace conditions, and appropriate wages for employees. Further, care should be taken to identify suppliers that would be instrumental in the welfare of the local community, mainly through social and economic activities that would uplift the society in any procurement (Silva et al., 2017).

Economic Criteria:

The economic dimension represents safeguarding procurement costs and promoting environmental and social health. The last factor under the primary activity envelope is supply chain transparency; suppliers ought to guarantee that they are accountable for the information they release to other links in the chain concerning their sourcing and production processes.

Circular Economy & Resource Optimization:

The main Areas related to Circular Economy & Resource Optimization include the sustainability of the company’s production line & process, which is well implemented by Eco-Preserve. In essence, designing for durability means that the various materials used in packaging have a long time. This means managing the life cycle of the materials and adopting sound end-of-life management solutions (Režek Jambrak et al., 2018). Resource management is also essential in choosing suppliers who stay keen on minimizing resources used, and the thorough execution of these resources bears a lot of significance in the overall sustainability of resources.

Sustainability Risks

Regular primary situations are recommended to determine new sustainability risks and suitable reactions. The risk management process also involves the stakeholders since they are vital in offering insights into sustainability. The creation of contingency strategies is essential for short interruptions or disturbances in the supply chain and unpredicted sustainability issues.

Environmental Risks & Mitigations

Environmental Risks present significant issues that affect the stability of Eco-Preserve in a manner that threatens sustainability. The ecological aspect that needs to be considered by the organization involves using non-biodegradable products that greatly pollute the environment. This risk has the potential of long-term adverse effects on the ecology and increased waste landfilling (Režek Jambrak et al., 2018).

To minimize this risk, it is recommended that the organization apply strict rules regarding the use of eco-friendly or reusable materials only. Suppliers’ practices should also be audited frequently so that they can align themselves with these guidelines.

Social Risks & Mitigations

Social Risks may include labor exploitation and/or hazardous working conditions in the suppliers’ workplaces. This risk is purely social and, depending on the nature of the incident, may potentially harm Eco-Preseve reputation (El Baz et al., 2014).

To counter this problem, measurable procurement standards that would define labor practices and working conditions are needed. Supplier audits must be conducted on a regular basis to ensure compliance with labor laws and ethical nutrition, thus protecting the rights of the workers and ensuring a good social image.

Economic Risks & Mitigations

An economic impact that can be highlighted as a risk is the increase in the price of sustainable materials or technologies. This could lower its profitability and foster a disadvantage in competitive forces from regular approaches.  Therefore, to try to avoid this risk, it is necessary to carry out thorough cost-advantage analyses to establish whether it makes economic sense to invest in sustainability (Sridhar et al., 2020). Also, incorporating cost-savings at the supply chain level can assist in reducing the overall cost of adopting sustainability, improving not only the cost of sustainable materials and technology but also the Firm’s performance.

Sustainability Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Environmental Metrics:

This metric measures the tones of Greenhouse Gas emissions involved in the manufacturing and delivery of Eco-Preserve and gives information on possible areas of diminishing the emissions. Further, there is an actual reduction in waste, whereby institutions are supposed to measure the total wastes produced and the extent to which wastes have been recycled. Environmental management also involves the measurement of resource utilization, that is, the efficiency of raw materials and energy used (Atuonwu et al., 2018).

Social Metrics:

The level of labor standards and ethics records the suppliers’ compliance level with the set labor standard. This applies to the aspect of social responsibility because it seeks to ensure that all chain suppliers exercise fair labor practices. Furthermore, the community impact, whose metric evaluates the social value that suppliers bring into society, includes community development, among others.

Economic Metrics:

Financial Metrics are crucial when analyzing the economic dimension of sustainability. Getting at the cost, which is detected in the frame of adequate consumption of resources and waste reduction, one is to determine the economic effect of using eco-technologies. This index points to the financial benefits of sustainability and makes stakeholders press on with funding sustainable projects and policies (Martínez-Martínez et al., 2023).  

KPIs for Tracking Progress:

KPIs are introduced to set up and monitor the progress concerning particular actions. Out of these, a few KPIs are cutting down on carbon emissions by a unit of product, and there is usually a target of greenhouse household gases. Another KPI is called % of biodegradable packaging, which encourages the utilization of sustainable solutions in packaging to enhance the ecological status.  Supplier compliance is also tracked, representing the proportion of suppliers abiding by the Firm’s sustainability and ethical policies. Finally, the waste diversion rate monitors the trend in waste management, which is achieved through recycling or any other techniques, and this is done to reduce the amount of garbage disposed of in landfills.

Life-Cycle Analysis: Measuring Project Impacts

Define Goals and Scope:

The first step involves identifying the study’s objectives and boundaries for applying Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) in the development of Eco-Preserve. The primary objective entails an assessment of the eco-friendliness, community, and financial effects of the Eco-Preserve product, from its sourcing of materials to disposal. It is appropriate here where the project’s parameters are defined within which the program is required to work, giving a comprehensive understanding of the width and scale of impacts and the need to find sustainable ways of streamlining improvement (Pardo & Zufía, 2012).

Inventory Analysis

The next step is inventory analysis, where data gathering and analysis should be accurate. All inputs of resources, energy, emissions, and wastes that go into the creation of the product, as well as all the processes involved in the production line, are collected to give an account of the product’s environmental effects. Incorporating detailed information related to steps and processes with the help of sophisticated tools of advanced LCA software.

Impact Assessment:

This phase entails assessing environmental risks that may arise from Eco-Preserve operations to determine the impacts on the quality of air, water, and soil and the depletion of resources. It also involves evaluating the social impact, including the labor relation aspect and the community, to check if the project complies with the social responsibility objectives. The economic factor focuses on the cost concerns and advantages associated with sustainable materials and processes (Silva & Sanjuán, 2019).

Sustainable Project Management Principles

Creating and applying the Eco-Preserve shall also involve sustainable project management and its principles so that the project would be realized in the most effective and, at the same time, environmentally friendly manner. The following methodologies and standards will be applied

Triple Bottom Line (TBL):

It deals with the approaches that ensure economic, ecological, and social responsibility achievement (Torrents-Masoliver et al., 2022).

Eco-Preserve will be managed by considering the 3Ps of sustainability: people, profit, and planet.

Lean Project Management:

The project will incorporate lean principles that eliminate waste while maximizing value.

Sustainability Assessment Tools:

These two approaches, LCA and SIA, will be used to assess Eco-Preserve’s environmental and social aspects at the design and implementation stages.

Conclusion

The management, sustainability, and focus of the multinationals involved in the synthesis and analysis of the Food Eco-Preserve project have given a new direction in food safety and quality with effective preservation means without compromising on the stringent ESG guidelines. Through sustainable procurement, sustainability risk evaluation, and sustainability indicators and KPIs, the project meets the ESG objectives. Life Cycle Analysis, which is continued and implemented in the design and developmental stages, contributes to Eco-Preserve’s goals of reducing its environmental impact and enhancing resource efficiency.

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