Page 26 - Baking Europe Journal - Winter 2022

INDUSTRY RESEARCH
26 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI

How artificial intelligence

can improve sustainability

Written by:

Claudia Päffgen
Marketing and Business Development Manager, Foodforecast

onsumers are increasingly procurement, optimisation of stocked shelves and counters until
demanding sustainable technical processes to save energy closing time which regrettably leads
products from their (such as the use of renewable to a correspondingly high level of
suppliers when shopping resources), waste avoidance through unsold items or returns.
for food as the storm that is the reuse, deliveries by electric vehicles
environmental and climate change or other innovative ideas for reusing Such returns can be as high as 19%
crisis escalates. Their visits to the surplus goods. It is far more likely that and result in the losses of thousands
bakery store now involve much closer a baker promoting their new solar of tonnes of product over a year and
scrutiny of not only the ingredients panels or new energy efficient consequential financial losses. For
list but also deeper consideration for production (such as AI) “to save the example, in Germany, bakery returns
regional, seasonal and as far as planet” will attract considerably more have been recorded as reaching
possible, climate-friendly products attention, increase sales and goodwill. 600,000 tonnes every year. This
that have a transparent supply chain, equates to an average value of
or traceability the origins/ Counting the cost of high returns €65,000 Euros worth of food per
procurement of raw materials. Unfortunately, however, it is a fact of bakery outlet, per annum that has to
life that the average consumer is not be disposed of. This is a loss that
Bakery owners are happy to always consistent or indeed radical in hurts the bakery both economically
accommodate these demands, of his/her demands. For example, the and emotionally, but also one that
course, but realise that they ignore demand for sustainably produced comes at the expense of the
them at their peril and need to make baked goods is at odds with that of environment, resources and,
the effort to embrace the challenge freshness and variety of favourite therefore, future generations.
by intelligent adaptation of their products being available at all times,
product lines and marketing strategy even shortly before closing time. High wastage and returns fly in the
accordingly. Smaller bakeries do not have the face of all that is “planet saving” and
financial clout nor resources to the entire principle of sustainability
Standing head and shoulders above compete with increasing competitive and furthermore, this level of return
the crowd means getting their pressure from supermarket bakeries results in an unnecessary waste of
messages across on sustainable and cannot simply ignore these resources and an avoidable financial
ideals; examples which may include: demands so feel compelled to loss for the bakery concerned,
regional production and raw material comply. The result is often fully compounded by the time and effort

BAKINGEUROPE Winter 2022/2023
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