The European Commission reported that the food supply chain is responsible for 20 to 30 percent of the environmental impacts resulting from climate change and ozone pollution. This is mainly due to the large use and consumption of fossil energy to produce and process agri-food products, meat and dairy as well to maintain optimal microclimate conditions in working buildings. Another important factor of energy consumption is associated with transport and distribution of agrofood and beverage products. As such, recently there has been a growing interest from governments and SMEs for developing policies and strategies adapted to develop energy efficiency and renewable technologies. Moreover, the promotion of costefficient actions to reduce energy and improve eco-green quality of the food industry is also a key target of the sector. This article briefly examines the Italian sector of the food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector in Europe. This sector is a main part of the agro-food system, which embraces: 1) the agriculture sector for the harvesting of the raw materials, 2) the food and drink industry for the transformation (processing) of the raw products, and 3) the delivery of the final products to the market. A look at the economic structure of Italian food and drink industry enterprises is followed by a discussion on the major energy aspects associated with this sector. A particular attention is dedicated to the sub-sector of the industries that process fruit and vegetables. The analysis of the average energy consumption specific for this sub-sector seeks to identify those processes of the chain that could be improved through the implementation of good practices and best available techniques. The food and drink industry is also analyzed in respect to the objectives of the EU Package 20-20-20.

An energetic outlook of the Italian food and drink industry

Latini, A.;Viola, C.;Campiotti, C.A.
2014-01-01

Abstract

The European Commission reported that the food supply chain is responsible for 20 to 30 percent of the environmental impacts resulting from climate change and ozone pollution. This is mainly due to the large use and consumption of fossil energy to produce and process agri-food products, meat and dairy as well to maintain optimal microclimate conditions in working buildings. Another important factor of energy consumption is associated with transport and distribution of agrofood and beverage products. As such, recently there has been a growing interest from governments and SMEs for developing policies and strategies adapted to develop energy efficiency and renewable technologies. Moreover, the promotion of costefficient actions to reduce energy and improve eco-green quality of the food industry is also a key target of the sector. This article briefly examines the Italian sector of the food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector in Europe. This sector is a main part of the agro-food system, which embraces: 1) the agriculture sector for the harvesting of the raw materials, 2) the food and drink industry for the transformation (processing) of the raw products, and 3) the delivery of the final products to the market. A look at the economic structure of Italian food and drink industry enterprises is followed by a discussion on the major energy aspects associated with this sector. A particular attention is dedicated to the sub-sector of the industries that process fruit and vegetables. The analysis of the average energy consumption specific for this sub-sector seeks to identify those processes of the chain that could be improved through the implementation of good practices and best available techniques. The food and drink industry is also analyzed in respect to the objectives of the EU Package 20-20-20.
2014
Fruit and vegetables sub-sector;Food and drink industry;Best available techniques (BATs);Energy efficiency;Energy consumption
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12079/2864
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