Energy Use

Energy Use for Food

The ability to feed a growing global population will increase competition for food related resources. A foremost challenge of our time is meeting food demands in light of the exacerbating effects of changing climate, population and consumption patterns. “The food-related emissions and impacts of climate change on agriculture and the food system will profoundly alter the way we grow and produce food ” (One-Third of our Greenhouse Gas Emissions Come from Agriculture”, Nature, 2012). Together the food industry and its associated food delivery services represent one of the most energy-intensive industries in many countries. Food processing requires energy to convert raw food into consumer products and is responsible for soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. This section focuses on energy demand and reduction opportunities in the food processing industry.

Utilizing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies throughout each step of the food production process is imperative to meeting the surge in food demand without detrimentally impacting the resources on which the agricultural and food industries, and individuals depend.